Big Worry For Toon - Fulham Are Another Blackburn!

Last updated : 11 November 2010 By Footy Mad - Editor

Fulham's most recent visit to SJP was our last home game in the Premiership before relegation to the Championship in May 2008.

NU

2008 NEWCASTLE 0 FULHAM 1

NEWCASTLE: Harper, Beye, Steven Taylor, Bassong, Duff, Guthrie (Ryan Taylor 62), Butt, Nolan, Gutierrez (Lovenkrands 76), Martins, Viduka (Carroll 80). Subs Not Used: Krul, Coloccini, Smith, Ameobi.

FULHAM: Schwarzer, Pantsil, Hughes, Hangeland, Konchesky, Dempsey, Etuhu, Murphy, Gera, Nevland (Johnson 75), Kamara. Subs Not Used: Zuberbuhler, Zamora, Dacourt, Gray, Kallio, Baird.

Att: 52,114

Newcastle boss Alan Shearer found himself back deep in relegation trouble after Mark Viduka was controversially denied a precious equaliser.

Trailing 1-0 to Fulham as a result of Diomansy Kamara's 41st-minute strike, the Australian thought he had levelled five minutes after the break to give his side a lifeline.

However, referee Howard Webb harshly chalked off his effort for a foul by Kevin Nolan on keeper Mark Schwarzer to dump the Magpies, who played the last half-hour with 10 men after defender Sebastien Bassong had been sent off, back into the mire with just one game remaining in which to save themselves.

Newcastle, who had soon to be out of contract skipper Michael Owen missing with a groin injury in what might have been his final game for the club, went close 12 minutes from time, but Schwarzer pulled off a fine save to deny Obafemi Martins, who had earlier hit the post, and then kept out Nicky Butt's injury-time effort.

They now face a trip to Aston Villa next Sunday knowing even victory might not be enough if other results go against them and with their Premier League status hanging by a thread.

Tyneside was shrouded in dark clouds, both literally and figuratively, as the final whistle sounded and a crowd of 52,114 filed out not knowing whether they will return to watch top-flight football next season.

The euphoria of Monday night's 3-1 victory over derby rivals Middlesbrough, which dragged the club out of the bottom three, had quickly been put to one side with no-one in the Newcastle camp in any doubt the job was nowhere near done.

For much of the first half, Shearer's men looked the more likely to take the initiative, but when they left the pitch at the break, they were trailing and back in trouble.

It might have been so different had Martins' 15th-minute shot not come back off the post after he had played a neat one-two with Nolan, or had Viduka managed to hit the target when presented with a free header, albeit from distance, by Danny Guthrie's cross 10 minutes later.

However, Fulham, who arrived sitting in seventh place in the table and in with a real shout of securing a place in the Europa League, had not just come along for the ride, and served warning of their intent six minutes before the break.

Erik Nevland ran on to Kamara's clever back-heeled pass and curled a shot towards the far post, and keeper Steve Harper was delighted to see it drop inches wide as he flung himself across his line.

But the Magpies did not heed the warning, and they fell behind two minutes later in controversial circumstances.

Danny Murphy's pass found Nevland in acres of space on the right and with the home defence appealing in vain for an offside flag, he raced away before squaring for Kamara, who evaded Bassong and Steven Taylor on the line to fire into the roof of the net.

Former Magpie Aaron Hughes blocked a Jonas Gutierrez shot as Newcastle attempted to hit back immediately, but St James' was once again bathed in anxiety as the players left the pitch at half-time.

Shearer's players returned in determined mood and might have been back in it within two minutes when Martins volleyed a Guthrie cross towards goal, but could not hit the target.

However, they thought they had levelled with 50 minutes gone after Viduka twice got the better of his former Middlesbrough team-mate.

The striker saw his header from a Guthrie free-kick cleared off the line by Dickson Etuhu, but there was nothing anyone could do to keep out his header from the resulting corner with 50 minutes gone.

But the Australia international's joy turned to misery within seconds when Webb ruled Nolan had impeded Schwarzer on the line, although television replays suggested the decision was harsh with the keeper not even appealing.

Newcastle laid siege to the Fulham goal as they sensed the time had come, but they were wasteful in promising positions with Gutierrez particularly guilty.

However, disaster struck on the hour when central defender Bassong was sent off for hauling down Kamara 40 yards from goal, and the Frenchman could have few arguments.

Martins got in 12 minutes from time only to be denied by Schwarzer, and the keeper pulled off a superb injury-time to keep out Butt's effort.

NU

TOON v FULHAM - THE HISTORY ...

 2008/2009 Sat 16 May Newcastle Utd. 0 - 1 Fulham Premier League  
  Sun 09 Nov Fulham 2 - 1 Newcastle Utd. Premier League  
 2007/2008 Sat 22 Mar Newcastle Utd. 2 - 0 Fulham Premier League  
  Sat 15 Dec Fulham 0 - 1 Newcastle Utd. Premier League  
 2006/2007 Sat 03 Feb Fulham 2 - 1 Newcastle Utd. Premiership  
  Sat 09 Sep Newcastle Utd. 1 - 2 Fulham Premiership  
 2005/2006 Sat 14 Jan Fulham 1 - 0 Newcastle Utd. Premiership  
  Sat 10 Sep Newcastle Utd. 1 - 1 Fulham Premiership  
 2004/2005 Wed 04 May Fulham 1 - 3 Newcastle Utd. Premiership  
  Sun 07 Nov Newcastle Utd. 1 - 4 Fulham Premiership  
 2003/2004 Mon 19 Jan Newcastle Utd. 3 - 1 Fulham Premiership  
  Tue 21 Oct Fulham 2 - 3 Newcastle Utd. Premiership  
 2002/2003 Sat 19 Apr Fulham 2 - 1 Newcastle Utd. Premiership  
  Sat 21 Dec Newcastle Utd. 2 - 0 Fulham Premiership  
 2001/2002 Mon 08 Apr Newcastle Utd. 1 - 1 Fulham Premiership  
  Sat 17 Nov Fulham 3 - 1 Newcastle Utd. Premiership  
 1983/1984 Sat 03 Mar Fulham 2 - 2 Newcastle Utd. Second Division  
  Sat 05 Nov Newcastle Utd. 3 - 2 Fulham Second Division  
 1982/1983 Sat 26 Feb Fulham 2 - 2 Newcastle Utd. Second Division  
  Sat 16 Oct Newcastle Utd. 1 - 4 Fulham Second Division  
 1981/1982 Tue 27 Oct Fulham 2 - 0 Newcastle Utd. League Cup  
Fulham won 4-1 on aggregate
  Wed 07 Oct Newcastle Utd. 1 - 2 Fulham League Cup  
 1979/1980 Sat 12 Apr Fulham 1 - 0 Newcastle Utd. Second Division  
  Sat 01 Dec Newcastle Utd. 2 - 0 Fulham Second Division  
 1978/1979 Sat 21 Apr Newcastle Utd. 0 - 0 Fulham Second Division  
  Sat 16 Dec Fulham 1 - 3 Newcastle Utd. Second Division  
 1974/1975 Wed 13 Nov Newcastle Utd. 3 - 0 Fulham League Cup  
 1967/1968 Sat 20 Apr Fulham 2 - 0 Newcastle Utd. First Division  
  Sat 14 Oct Newcastle Utd. 2 - 1 Fulham First Division  
 1966/1967 Sat 04 Feb Fulham 5 - 1 Newcastle Utd. First Division  
  Sat 24 Sep Newcastle Utd. 1 - 1 Fulham First Division  
 1965/1966 Sat 07 May Newcastle Utd. 1 - 1 Fulham First Division  
  Sat 30 Oct Fulham 2 - 0 Newcastle Utd. First Division  
 1960/1961 Sat 07 Jan Newcastle Utd. 5 - 0 Fulham F.A. Cup  
  Wed 31 Aug Fulham 4 - 3 Newcastle Utd. First Division  
  Wed 24 Aug Newcastle Utd. 7 - 2 Fulham First Division  
 1959/1960 Sat 05 Mar Newcastle Utd. 3 - 1 Fulham First Division  
  Sat 17 Oct Fulham 4 - 3 Newcastle Utd. First Division  
 1955/1956 Sat 28 Jan Fulham 4 - 5 Newcastle Utd. F.A. Cup  
 1951/1952 Sat 09 Feb Fulham 1 - 1 Newcastle Utd. First Division  
  Sat 29 Sep Newcastle Utd. 0 - 1 Fulham First Division  
 1950/1951 Sat 31 Mar Fulham 1 - 1 Newcastle Utd. First Division  
  Sat 11 Nov Newcastle Utd. 1 - 2 Fulham First Division  
 1949/1950 Sat 04 Feb Newcastle Utd. 3 - 1 Fulham First Division  
  Sat 24 Sep Fulham 2 - 1 Newcastle Utd. First Division  
 1947/1948 Wed 14 Apr Newcastle Utd. 1 - 0 Fulham Second Division  
  Sat 27 Sep Fulham 3 - 0 Newcastle Utd. Second Division  
 1946/1947 Sat 22 Mar Newcastle Utd. 1 - 3 Fulham Second Division  
  Sat 16 Nov Fulham 0 - 3 Newcastle Utd. Second Division  
 1938/1939 Sat 18 Mar Fulham 1 - 1 Newcastle Utd. Second Division  
  Sat 12 Nov Newcastle Utd. 2 - 1 Fulham Second Division  
 1937/1938 Sat 09 Apr Newcastle Utd. 1 - 2 Fulham Second Division  
  Sat 27 Nov Fulham 1 - 2 Newcastle Utd. Second Division  
 1936/1937 Sat 27 Mar Newcastle Utd. 1 - 1 Fulham Second Division  
  Sat 21 Nov Fulham 3 - 4 Newcastle Utd. Second Division  
 1935/1936 Sat 01 Feb Fulham 3 - 1 Newcastle Utd. Second Division  
  Sat 28 Sep Newcastle Utd. 6 - 2 Fulham Second Division  
 1934/1935 Sat 19 Jan Newcastle Utd. 1 - 1 Fulham Second Division  
  Sat 08 Sep Fulham 3 - 2 Newcastle Utd. Second Division  
 1909/1910 Sat 05 Feb Newcastle Utd. 4 - 0 Fulham F.A. Cup  
 1907/1908 Sat 28 Mar Newcastle Utd. 6 - 0 Fulham F.A. Cup  
played at Liverpool