Half time: R's 0 Champions 0

71 mins Joey Barton's threaded forward pass coincided perfectly with the onside, curving run of Peter Lovenkrands, who lobbed Radek Cerny from eight yards in front of the jubilant away section. That was a 16th goal of the season for the Dane, but only a second on the road (his effort at the smoggies being the other) 1-0

Full time: R's 0 Champions 1

Newcastle manager Chris Hughton said:

"What I was able to do was move things round a bit and I was able to give Vuckic an outing as well. I did want to wait until we were winning the game, because it was important that we won it. It was nice to give him the opportunity, and we'll be seeing a bit more of him next season.

"It was a very good finish from Peter, and it sums up how he's been for us this season. It came at a time when the game was opening up a bit. I think it was ideal for him. Once it opened up, we thought we could exploit a bit of the space, and of course Peter has been very good at this season.

"It feels great (to reach the 100 point mark). It was the least of our targets but an important one. We've achieved our three big targets - promotion, then winning the title and keeping our home record.

"But we have a very competitive changing room and it will be wonderful for this group of lads to look back on. It might be a different division to what this club is used to being in but it's a very big achievement.

"It's a big club and a club that is used to being in the Premier League, but a good percentage of our supporters realise where we have been and it has to be about growing and developing as a team and as a club again.

"So expectations maybe won't be as big as they have been in the past. At this time we are enjoying being where we are. The big aim is to become a consistent member of the Premier League. You can be encouraged by what Birmingham and Wolves have done this season. The big thing is going up and staying up. I do think we need to bring players in but I don't see wholesale changes."

In the run up to this game, Hughton had spoken to the press on various topics:

On Andy Carroll and Steven Taylor:

"We will be looking at starting new contract talks over the summer with Steven Taylor and there is absolutely no reason why he and Andy Carroll cannot play in the same team together. I expect both of them to still be here next season.

"They are both very important members of the squad. We have a lot of good young players who you would like to think will continue to develop at this football club. That includes Steven and Andy – they have been big players for us this season.

"It is not be all and end all, but it is good to have local lads playing for the club. It doesn’t happen very often anymore, but we have got four or five in the first-team squad who grew up as Newcastle fans. That’s unusual.”

On Andy Carroll:

"If he asked for the number nine shirt for next season it’s something that I would have to seriously think about. I am aware of what that number means here. There is responsibility that goes with that number. One thing that I am sure is that he is big and brave enough to want it.

"If we look at his progress this season he’s answered a lot of questions that we’ve asked of him. The biggest one was for somebody of his size and prowess we wanted more goals from him. He’s certainly given us that. He’s given us more impact in games. There are areas that he still needs to develop. For a big man he is a good footballer, there are areas of his link up play that need to develop and I am sure they will. We probably couldn’t have asked any more of him.”

On Fraser Forster and Tim Krul:

"Fraser has had an excellent season at Norwich and we have been kept up-to-date with his progress while he has been down there.

"We rate him very, very highly. We are very fortunate in that department. Steve Harper has had a fantastic season, but we also have two excellent young goalkeepers in Tim Krul and Fraser Forster.

"It is difficult on one hand because there are three of them, but Tim and Fraser are still developing and it will be interesting to see how they develop over the next couple of years.

"We rate them both and we will decide what we are going to do when the time comes, but we want to keep them both, that’s for sure.

"Loan deals are something we can look at because Fraser has benefited from his time at Norwich and Tim has also gone out on loan in the past and enjoyed it. It’s a really nice problem to have.”

On rumours of a Director of Football appointment:

"What I have been told is that there’s absolutely no truth in the story. Some clubs have gone down that route - and when I worked at Tottenham Hotspur there was a director of football - but really, it’s just a title. At some clubs the chief scout is in effect the director of football, at others it’s the chief executive or the club secretary.

"It all depends on what the responsibilities are. Some directors of football have a bigger responsibility on the scouting side and some are more on administration and contracts. The role is quite varied but as far as I know it’s not something we’re doing.”

On player and staff acquisitions:

"The backroom and scouting staff side of things does need building up again - it’s very difficult to do some things when you’re not a Premier League team. So much effort goes in to trying to achieve promotion, that you’re left trying to do things in other areas, like scouting and technology, which you’d like to push on further, a bit later than everyone else. There are areas we’re evaluating at the moment and whatever changes and additions we need, we’ll certainly do.

"I don’t envisage too many coming in and I don’t expect too many wanting to go. We are buoyed by the fact teams have gone up in recent seasons, like Wolves and Birmingham who have done well in the Premier League. We have also seen players develop here. Yes, some went down a year ago but many are better players now than what they were then. I do not envisage too many coming in.

"My responsibility will be to assess the players who we have. We are on the back of a good season. Players have improved, made progress and they have momentum. We have a squad who can compete for places in the best league. I have to decide where to strengthen and to bring in cover.

"I don't expect anyone is looking to leave this club. The players have worked very hard to get us in the top division so they can be part of it. We want to get the season out of the way. It is an ongoing situation scouting players and who we'd like to bring in. We will have meetings.

On achievements and expectations:

"We needed a period of stability. That has come with winning games and talk being of what we are doing on the football pitch. We need stability in the Premier League. No one expects promoted teams to be knocking on the door of Europe.

"100 points would be a great way to finish off. We have had targets this season and achieved most of them. It is good to have something like that to play for. It is an added incentive for us and after the emotional game last week it will be a tough game.

"The most important achievements we have already, promotion, winning the league and staying unbeaten at home. So we focus on that and these are the things we will look back on in years to come and get some satisfaction from.

"We have an incredibly passionate crowd. It is their club. They want to see a team winning. As long as they see that they will take people to their hearts. When things are good up here it is a delightful place to be. We have put some smiles on faces."

After seeing his team lose to Newcastle for the third time this season (Palace home and away being the other two), Neil Warnock commented:

"It showed me what one or two lads are like in adversity, but there was a lot of pluses. Their goalkeeper has pulled off a few good saves and it was a good experience for us. I thought that we were not overawed and played some good football.

"The difference between us and Newcastle was that we brought on two kids as substitutes and they brought on Andy Carroll and Peter Lovenkrands. It was a great atmosphere though and we want that every week here. The only way that you get that though is to be up near the top of the league right from the start next season.

"We have not had enough physical strength up front really and we are a bit lightweight in that area. If we had been a bit more clinical up front then we could have had two or three goals against Newcastle."