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Newcastle United	3 - 1	West Ham United
Half time:	1 - 1
Score Sheet:
Shearer (41) LuaLua (53) Robert (66)		Defoe (20)
	Teams
Given Hughes Bernard Dabizas O'Brien Solano Speed Robert Dyer Shearer LuaLua		James Repka Dailly Pearce Labant Sinclair Carrick Lomas Cole Kanoute Defoe
Substitutes:
Distin for O'Brien (46) Jenas for Dyer (83) Cort for LuaLua (83)		Winterburn for Sinclair (71) Garcia for Labant (82)
Subs not used:
Kerr Harper		Hislop Potts Iriekpen
Bookings:
Distin (66)		Pearce (47) Kanoute (89)
Sendings off:
None		None
Referee: Paul Durkin (Dorset) - another low-key performance with few disputable decisions.
Attendance: 52,127 - Three short of the season's best.

20 mins West Ham inevitably converted one of their many chances when Defoe got on the end of a Kanoute flick to thump an angled drive past Given in the Gallowgate goal from 8 yards.  0-1

41 mins Robert split the Hammers defence with the perfect through ball for Shearer, on the shoulder of the last man and onside despite the vague waving from defenders. He  took the ball on and dispatched past James with relative ease in front of the Leazes End.  1-1

Half time: Newcastle 1 West Ham 1

53 mins David James showed why he should never get anywhere near the England World Cup squad with a typical mental aberration. He headed a Repka backpass clear from well inside his own area when there was no reason why he couldn't have picked up the ball. The clearance fell to Robert who hit a great swerving effort which James saved well, only for LuaLua to tuck away the rebound from close range. Just the one somersault, although there was a hint of some strange moonstomp after he returned to terra firma....  2-1

66 mins Solano played a fabulous through ball from the right for Robert who came surging in from the left flank and the Frenchman got ahead of James to lift the ball over the keeper. The shot came back off the post and Robert was able to prod in the rebound in an empty net from inches out - using his left foot despite tumbling to his knees as he did so. He stood up to take the applause of the crowd, with a familiar wave, kiss of his ring and clenched fist gesture.  3-1

Full time: Newcastle 3 West Ham 1

Bobby Robson said: 

"I said to Kieron Dyer, 'It's as simple as this Kieron Dyer: who wants to go to the World Cup, you or (Michael) Carrick? Prove to me who's going to be the better player today in the second half and multiply that by five. Is it going to be Carrick going to the World Cup or is it going to be you?'

Glenn Roeder said:

"It was the most chances we've created away from home this year in the first 45 minutes." 

"Bobby said right on the final whistle 'You certainly let us off the hook there', and I think he's right, we did let them off the hook.

"We conceded two ridiculously poor goals and I counted six clear-cut chances plus the goal, and apart from one of the chances that fell to Defoe before he scored where (Shay) Given made a save, the keeper didn't have to make a save with the other chances.

"We missed the target. That's not bad luck, it's poor finishing. But for a team that's had an outstanding season and it's been a fortress up here this year, to have opened them up as easily as that on a number of occasions, I must admit it was a surprise.

"But you have to take your chances.

The attendances for the season broke through the two million mark. Total home and away is 2,017,173.

Alan Shearer's goal put him in joint 5th position on the Newcastle all-time scorers list, level with Peter Beardsley. 

Further evidence was produced in this final home game of the season, that under Bobby Robson's command we have created something which is rather closer to Kevin Keegan's blueprint that many of us ever imagined possible.

Were the history of Newcastle United to be re-written in the style of a dictator restyling school texts, Keegan would have stuck around long enough to take us into the Champions League before magically being replaced by a smiling pensioner from county Durham. The contributions of the Scotsman and the Dutchman can be viewed from differing perspectives, but in terms of the entertainment value, their names would be erased from the roll of honour.

If this victory over West Ham was reminiscent of anything though, it was an earlier incarnation of Keegan - his farewell as a player. On a similarly pleasant day in May 1984, Brighton were the visitors to a smaller but no less exuberant St.James' Park, and had the temerity to be hold us at 1-1 at the interval.

However, there seemed no doubt that the black and whites would raise their game to claim the win, and second half efforts from Waddle and Beardsley at the Gallowgate end saw the happy ending that was forecast.

For 1984 read 2002, and this time it was LuaLua and Robert taking the applause. The final whistle then saw a lap of honour in which a capacity crowd greeted their heroes suitably, and if there was one major difference, then the trend of scarf chucking has died out in the intervening 20 years. 

Oh - one more similarity...neither team had a trophy to wave, and it didn't seem to matter. The over-riding impression on both occasions was of a team en route to somewhere, having knocked the dust of under-achievement from their collective heels.

For many years now myself (and surely other similarly-afflicted fans) have played a game of "spot the farewell" when these parades go on. 

Back in 84 it was Terry Mac and John Trewick who took their final bow, but this time (avoiding the obvious duo of non-combatants Marcelino and Karelse), it was difficult to see any evidence of boat-burning going on - perhaps Dabizas may be sacrificed, while Harper is too good to languish on the bench forever.

For the rest though it seems as if they're in for the long haul, and by and large it has to be said i'm pretty happy with that. At least two of them are short odds to return from the World Cup with significantly enhanced reputations, but for messrs Given and Dyer their current public seems to frame them nicely -  their body language and public statements giving rise to an expectation that both will be lining up when our bid to join the Champs League proper begins in just over 15 weeks.

As in the case of Keegan, for Bobby transfer money doesn't appear to be a problem and for that credit is due to Shepherd & co. Such has been the renaissance of Shearer, the impact of Bellamy and LuaLua and the contributions of Solano and Robert this season that it's further back in the side that reinforcements look to be needed.

Aside from the formidable Given, question marks remain about concentration and consistency in our backline, with good individual performances from the central defenders but collective lapses at crucial points. With an extended deal for O'Brien and efforts to sign Distin it looks as if Dabizas is the odd man out, determination and effort unable to compensate for other shortcomings as the pace of games becomes ever more rapid. 

We may have made the comeback our speciality this season, but in more rarified company we simply won't be afforded the same opportunities that the likes of Derby obliged with.

It's increasingly fashionable to have a go at Elliott, and we're as guilty as anyone else in this respect. However in our defence we should point out that we were questioning his ability as early as the Troyes away game. If only for the positive effect it seems to have on Robert, Bernard looks a likely lad at left back, but he'd probably concede that the strongest part of his game is not defence.

On the other flank, Hughes has made the right back slot his own with some understated but steady displays, and also seems to have gelled with Solano in front of him, the Peruvian's willingness to lend a hand at the back being a major plus.

That leaves the midfield, which by popular opinion requires a world-class operator as a fulcrum for the team. Speed's true worth to the side is often seen when he's not there, and little holes appear, but it's unreasonable to expect him to play in every game and only Acuna has the same doggedness. Precisely where Jenas and Dyer fit in is also a moot point - perhaps we may gain some clues from where Sven uses the latter in Japan and Korea.

So, we have a wealth of talented players, a successful and attractive pattern of play and a great mass of expectation. What happens next is to a certain extent out of our hands, as other teams regroup and acquire players, and the twin enemies of form and fitness lie in wait to frustrate fans and manager alike.

We are of course well versed in the arts of premature celebration and self-inflicted wounding, but at this stage we do seem to be heading in the right direction and optimism for the new season seems well-placed. Put it another way - whatever's going to go wrong isn't obvious, yet.

We now kick heels and twiddle thumbs respectively for a fortnight, until the business of the FA Cup is concluded and then the final set of fixtures are played. The supporters may face a marathon trip to Hampshire, but in terms of our on-field progress this season, we've come an awful long way. Let's hope it's not a one-off. 

Biffa

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