Newcastle booked their place in the Champions League for the second successive
season with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Birmingham.
Hugo Viana ultimately won the game with a superb first-half free-kick to take
full advantage of Matthew Upson's dismissal for a professional foul on Craig
Bellamy seconds earlier.
However, as so often with Sir Bobby Robson's men, they made life difficult for
themselves by passing up a series of golden opportunities and twice hitting the
woodwork.
And had Christophe Dugarry made more of the 76th-minute chance with which he
was presented by substitute Stan Lazaridis, the Magpies could have been heading
for West Brom on Sunday still needing a win to secure a top-four finish.
But they held out and with closest rivals Chelsea and Liverpool both losing,
third place is now theirs.
The orders for Newcastle were plain and simple; four points from the last two
games would clinch them their place in the European big time regardless of what
happened elsewhere, and three today would be the perfect start.
However, with hugely experienced duo Alan Shearer and Gary Speed, who were
both presented with a series of awards on the pitch before retiring to the
stands, missing for the conclusion of the campaign through injury, the concern
was that Newcastle's young guns might feel the pressure.
There was no lack of quality in Robson's starting 11 as Shola Ameobi, Jermaine
Jenas and Viana were handed massive jobs, but the need for patience was
paramount.
Steve Bruce sent out his side determined not to concede any ground to the club
he supported as a boy, and with mercurial Frenchman Dugarry going through his
full repertoire, the Newcastle defence was under pressure at regular intervals
without ever looking in serious danger.
On the one occasion Birmingham did break through, Dugarry out-foxed the
otherwise excellent Jonathan Woodgate to cross for midfielder Damien Johnson,
and Shay Given, making the 250th start of his career, had to scramble across his
goal to claw the ball away.
However, while Newcastle enjoyed the greater share of the possession, they
were unable to trouble Given's opposite number Ian Bennett with any great
regularity.
Bellamy squandered a glorious chance to open the scoring on 16 minutes after
Ameobi played him in, the Welshman dithering before eventually trying to round
the keeper only to deliver the ball into his grasp.
Nolberto Solano volleyed high and wide on 33 minutes after Kieron Dyer had
left the blue shirts in his wake to surge into the box, and the tension started
to grow in the stands.
However, the game turned five minutes before the break when Solano drove a
pinpoint ball over the top for Bellamy to chase and last man Upson bundled him
to the ground two yards outside the box.
Referee David Elleray had little choice but to show the red card, and City
were still coming to terms with their loss when Viana left Bennett rooted to the
spot to curl a brilliant free-kick into the top corner.
Bruce attempted to shore things up at the break by replacing Jeff Kenna with
Michael Johnson and switching to a back three, but Newcastle continued to
dominate.
However, as the chances continued to go begging, the nerves were jangling
among the majority of a crowd of 52,146.
Ameobi was only denied a clear shot on goal by Michael Johnson's last-ditch
tackle and Olivier Bernard, Viana and Dyer all went close in quick succession
before Ameobi tested Bennett with a well-struck left-foot drive.
However, despite their numerical disadvantage, the visitors continued to play
football, and Newcastle were fortunate to escape on 59 minutes when Geoff
Horsfield's back-heel to Bryan Hughes wrong-footed the home defence, although
the midfielder's cross was too strong for for Dugarry and Steve Caldwell was
able to clear.
The Magpies should have wrapped up the points on 64 minutes when Viana found
time and space in the penalty area and squared for Dyer, but the midfielder's
shot came back off the post.
The woodwork came to City's rescue once again five minutes later when Ameobi
met Bernard's cross with a powerful header, only for the ball to hit the bar and
rebound off Damien Johnson into Bennett's arms.
However, as the floodgates stubbornly refused to open, Newcastle had a major
escape 14 minutes from time when Lazaridis picked out Dugarry's run into the box
and with defenders rooted to the spot, he flicked the ball towards goal but, to
his relief, straight at Given.
Ameobi missed from six yards and Viana forced another fingertip save from
Bennett as Newcastle looked to kill off their opponents, but the second goal
just would not come, and it was with relief as much as delight that the final
whistle was greeted.
Teams:
Newcastle: Given, Hughes, Caldwell, Woodgate, Bernard,
Solano (Kerr 81), Dyer, Jenas, Viana (Robert 86), Bellamy,
Ameobi.
Subs Not Used: Harper, Bramble, LuaLua.
Goals: Viana 42.
Birmingham: Bennett, Kenna (Michael Johnson 45), Purse, Upson,
Clapham, Damien Johnson, Savage (Lazaridis 72), Clemence,
Hughes, Horsfield, Dugarry (John 81).
Subs Not Used: Marriott, Devlin.
Sent Off: Upson (41).
Booked: Dugarry, Hughes.
Att: 52,146
Ref: D Elleray (Middlesex).
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