Fulham 0-2 Newcastle

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Match Summary...

So the final game of the season, which for so long looked like it could be season defining, ended up being a dead rubber as the fate of both teams was already sealed. Whilst that might have been a shame for the neutral (or Fulham fans who had hoped to be in with a chance of salvation on the final day) as NUFC fans, I think we can all agree we were delighted that the outcome of this one mattered little, all things considered.

Having outlined how much this game 'didn't really matter', I honestly thought it would play out into a bit of a boring stalemate, but this would prove not to be the case. Both teams tried to play some decent football and create openings. However, barring a burst of speed and cross-shot from ASM, neither team created an awful lot in terms of clear cut chances in the early stages.

The breakthrough came, almost inevitably, through man of the moment, Willock, scoring for the SEVENTH game in a row and equalling club legend Alan Shearer's record in the process - he also became the youngest player in PL history to achieve the feat in doing so. Willock picked the ball up deep in our own half after tenacious work from Murphy, he then breezed past the Fulham midfield with a lightning quick turn of pace, before a slightly lucky deflection off a defenders heel poked the ball back into his path after he attempted a flicked pass to Longstaff. Willock made no mistake with his good fortune, firing low and hard into the corner - a finish that only a player on his sort of form would pull off.

Fulham offered little in the way of a response, in fact they didn't even manage a shot on target in the opening 45, and so NUFC went in at the break 1-0 up and relatively comfortable, despite not showing the same attacking prowess we showed vs Leicester in our last away day.

The second half started well for the hosts, with ASM off colour and Willock picking up a little knock, NUFC struggled for an outball in the absence of a recognised striker, and Fulham enjoyed their best period of the game with Newcastle pinned in their own half and forced to defend a barrage of crosses - which they achieved with relative ease; Dubravka regularly claiming and holding well.

Despite their possession and territorial dominance, Fulham never really looked like scoring, apart from when Willock inexplicably played in Carvalho, who selflessly squared for Caveleiro to tap in to a relatively empty net. Only he didn't tap it in, he ballooned it over the bar! Massive let off for the Toon, and Willock in particular.

The rest of the game settled into a similar pattern - Fulham looking devoid of ideas, Dummett and Fernandez repelling everything that came into the box, and Shelvey and Almiron looking to link up quickly on the counter whenever possible.

The final piece of action in the game saw Ritchie and Willock combine well down the left, and when the former was fouled (very lightly I must say) by the unfortunate Tete, substitute Schär stepped up to cooly slot home the penalty and give Newcastle an unassailable lead, as well as a boost in goal difference that saw us climb a place in the table to 12th with virtually the last kick of the season!

Player Scores...

Dubravka 8 : No real saves of note but a commanding performance regardless. Claimed crosses superbly and looked more assured with the ball at his feet.

Murphy 7 : Caught out of position a little as Fulham targetted our right-hand side and he was keen to get forward. Got the wheels in motion for the opening goal and showed the sort of display that for me, should be rewarded with a new deal in the close season - would be a real shame to lose him for nothing!

Krafth 7 : The last 4 games of the season have been markedly improved for the Swede and I'm delighted for him. A disastrous start to his Toon career is hopefully behind him now and he can potentially play a 'squad player role' within the team moving forward.

Fernandez 8 : A rock at the back. Headed and cleared everything. Another one whose future needs sorting ASAP. My #MOTM.

Dummett 8 : Another assured defensive performance from Mr Reliable. Tracking, tackling and heading were all exemplary. Passing was a mixed bag however. Glad to see his one year extension has been made official.

Ritchie 7 : Not his most impressive afternoon as a few crosses and set pieces went astray but he still showed the leadership and attitude that has made him integral to our team. His encouragement of Murphy when he misplaced a pass to Almiron after a good run summed it up - focusing of praising what went well instead of berating what went wrong. Man management, the mark of a great captain. Hope he stays this summer.

Shelvey 8 :One of his best performances of the season. FIVE perfectly timed tackles and a mixture of simple and ambitious passing that enabled us to get up the pitch quickly. One of his better days for sure.

Longstaff 6 : Only gets a 6 really because the team won without conceding - Longstaff looked a little lost for most of the game and it seemed to pass him by. The strong performances of Shelvey and Willock essentially meant that it didn't really matter, especially against poor opposition.

Willock 8 : Another outstanding piece of individual skill for his goal. Apart from his aforementioned kamikaze pass, he was terrific, again. I have fingers and toes crossed that this was not his last game in a black and white shirt, but unless Juve give Arteta a ring in the close season, I'm fearful it might be. What a player, what a signing, if only he was ours for keeps...

Almiron 6 : Worked as hard as ever but not really his day. Asked to play in a number of positions but didn't really influence the game.

Saint-Maximin 6 : Apart from his direct run and shot early on, he didn't really contribute. In fact, he lost possession on seven occasions through poor passing or getting tackled before he got the chance to get going with his dribbling. Fully fit? Probably not. He's had better days.

SUBS: Gayle : '... Dwight Gayle will always score goals...' or so we sing, anyway. Except he doesn't, does he? Not at this level. One huge chance with a free header from 5 yards out. Got to score. Skied it.

Schär : Good to see him back after his unfortunate showing vs Arsenal. Took his penalty with ridiculous coolness. Should be second choice behind Wilson on that evidence.

Hendrick : On the pitch just about long enough to show just how bang average he really is.

And that's it! Season over. Finishing 12th in the league and a whopping 17pts clear of the bottom 3. What were we worried about, eh?

Final Thoughts...

I jest of course, but if we hadn't had the dire run of 2 wins in 22 in the middle of the season (that coincided with ASM, Almiron and Wilson being out, as well as obviously not having Willock) then who knows where we would have ended up.

What this end of season form has shown, is that when our big guns are fit and firing, we can beat anyone on our day. Unfortunately though, two of our three best players are extremely injury prone and the other one belongs to Arsenal! It's also highlighted just how bang average at best, those who are on the fringes are at this level.

We need investment in the summer to move forward, without question, and I'm sure I'm not alone in hoping Mr Willock is the first one through the door.

Who knows what the future may bring, but for now, I am glad to see the back of a tumultuous season with 3 points, a clean sheet, and our highest league position in months HTL.