SOUTHAMPTON 3: NEWCASTLE UNITED 3: Newcastle's underwhelming season has come full circle. A campaign that began with the heartbreak of losing a Champions League qualifier will end in disappointment without a place in Europe's top club competition for next season.
A late equaliser from Darren Ambrose saved a point for them after poor defending, the woodwork and two fine saves by Southampton's Alan Blayney, from Northern Ireland, did much to deny Newcastle the win they needed last night, so fourth place goes to Liverpool.
There is no guarantee the misery for Bobby Robson's team will not deepen. But the game was up here when Leandre Griffit ran through to give the Saints a late lead.
If ever a game had been there for Newcastle to win, this was it. Their opponents not only had nothing to play for, but they were without nine members of the first-team squad. Among the absentees were three of the likely first-choice back four and the goalkeeper, Antti Niemi, who was sent home with a virus.
That meant a Premiership debut for Blayney, and the 22-year-old goalkeeper's first touch was to pick the ball out of his net. Only seven minutes had elapsed when Shola Ameobi beat him after outwitting Claus Lundekvam.
By half-time Newcastle's vulnerability at the back, allied to enterprising Southampton attacking, meant Robson's team had thrown away the lead twice and were level at 2-2. Only a few saves by Shay Given saved further damage and Southampton looked the tidier, more-dangerous side.
Newcastle had chances of their own, because Southampton were also liable to creak under pressure, and they will look back on one miss with particular regret. Kieron Dyer wasted a good opportunity to make it 2-0 when he volleyed wide.
But there was only sporadic flow to Newcastle and it was neither surprising nor unmerited when Southampton claimed a first equaliser.
If Paul Sturrock's team were short on numbers they were not low on effort or energy. They closed down quickly and had their opponents on the back foot.
Fabrice Fernandes looked capable of causing problems from the right, with his runs and crosses, while Newcastle could not cope with James Beattie in the air. Anders Svensson was not picked up when he drifted in that often either. Given had already saved from Svensson and sharply from Yoann Folly when Southampton scored.
Given's saves could not mask a mixed personal display and he looked at fault. Fernandes' cross had culminated in a shot by Svensson which the goalkeeper could not hold and Beattie had only to poke the ball over the line.
Not that the goalkeeper was alone in being guilty, with neither Darren Ambrose nor Aaron Hughes managing to clear Fernandes' centre.
Thankfully for Newcastle, Southampton looked little more comfortable at the back. Ameobi found the net after outjumping Lundekvam and then holding off the defender to turn and score. The lively striker also set up Newcastle's second, getting past Lundekvam and crossing for Lee Bowyer to fire in low.
Soon, though, Newcastle failed to deal with another Fernandes cross and Titus Bramble continued an uncertain performance by deflecting the ball into his net under no pressure.
There was a distinct urgency to Newcastle's play early in the second half and three times in as many minutes they came close to regaining the lead. Twice the bar denied them. First Steven Caldwell's header hit woodwork from a Darren Ambrose free-kick, then Ambrose's shot found the same barrier before Blayney made an instinctive stop from Alan Shearer's downward header.
A second save, from Ameobi, maintained Blayney's good work, but Newcastle's dominance slipped. Soon this was end-to-end stuff, with Southampton a danger on the break and Given saving well from Paul Telfer. The Newcastle fans must have feared the Champions League was going to elude them.
SOUTHAMPTON: Blayney, Telfer, Lundekvam (Kenton 36), Hall, Crainey, Fernandes (Griffit 81), Folly, Anders Svensson, Prutton, Beattie, Ormerod (Phillips 74). Subs Not Used: Poke, Blackstock. Booked: Beattie. Goals: Beattie 19, Bramble 39 og, Griffit 88.
NEWCASTLE: Given, Hughes, Bramble (Bridges 90), Caldwell, Bernard, Dyer (Robert 75), Bowyer, Ambrose, Speed, Shearer, Ameobi. Subs Not Used: Harper, Griffin, Viana. Booked: Caldwell, Bramble. Goals: Ameobi 7, Bowyer 35, Ambrose 90.
Referee: G Poll (Hertfordshire).
