Newcastle United's Michael Owen (right) celebrates his goal against Fulham with teammate Geremi during their Premier League match at St James' Park yesterday. Newcastle eased their relegation worries with a 2-0 win. - AP
LONDON (AP):
NEWCASTLE WON for the first time since Kevin Keegan returned as manager, defeating visiting Fulham 2-0 in the Premier League yesterday behind goals by Mark Viduka and Michael Owen.
Newcastle ended a winless streak dating to January 16, the day the Magpies announced Keegan would begin his second stint as manager. Newcastle then lost six games and tied three and were eliminated from the FA Cup. Keegan first managed Newcastle from 1992-97.
Newcastle went ahead in the sixth minute on Viduka's goal. Owen forced Fulham goalkeeper Kasey Keller into making several saves before scoring with an 83rd-minute header.
Some pressure off
"While it does not mean we are not still in some danger, it just takes the pressure off everyone at the club," Keegan said. "The players' attitude has been questioned, my ability as a manager has been questioned, but that's what you leave yourself open for if you don't get results."
It was the 32nd consecutive away league game that Fulham have failed to win and they stay in 19th place.
"We have got to keep believing that our football can get us out of this situation and we have got to hope that the things that didn't go right for us today we can put right," Fulham manager Roy Hodgson said.
Tottenham beat Portsmouth 2-0 off late goals from substitutes Darren Bent and Jamie O'Hara; Roque Santa Cruz scored twice for Blackburn in a 3-1 win over Wigan despite playing with 10 men from the 16th minute; and Sunderland won their first away game of the season with a 1-0 victory at Aston Villa.
Other results
Also yesterday in cold, wet, windy and often snowy conditions, it was Bolton 0, Manchester City 0; Middlesbrough 1, Derby 0; Reading 2, Birmingham 1 and Everton 1, West Ham 1.
Today, the top four clubs play - Liverpool are at Manchester United and Chelsea host Arsenal.
Man United lead the standings with 70 points, followed by Arsenal with 67, Chelsea with 65 and Liverpool with 59.
Sunderland move up to 16th place with 30 points, with Birmingham swapping places by dropping to 17th with 27 points. Bolton stay in 18th with 26 points, followed by Fulham with 23 and Derby with 10.
Bent scored in the 80th minute at White Hart Lane, with Jamie O'Hara doubling the score in the 82nd. Both players had come on 10 minutes earlier.
Dimitar Berbatov's shot was headed in by Bent, who then set up O'Hara to make it 2-0 in a match played in chilly, windy conditions.
"Benty opened up the whole match," Tottenham assistant manager Gus Poyet said. "The substitutes don't always know how important they can be."
Missed chance
Everton missed a chance to catch up with Liverpool in the race for fourth place by drawing with visiting West Ham. Ayegbeni Yakubu scored for Everton in the eighth minute, but Dean Aston equalised for West Ham in the 68th with a header.
Everton have 57 points, two less than Liverpool.
Santa Cruz scored his first goal in the 11th minute, heading in a rebound after David Bentley's initial shot was pushed away by Wigan goalkeeper Chris Kirkland.
Blackburn had Christopher Samba sent off in the 16th minute for a foul on Wigan striker Emile Heskey and Marlon King scored from the resulting penalty kick to make it 1-1.
Blackburn went ahead again in the 45th through Jason Roberts, who scored through the legs of Kirkland, and Santa Cruz headed in his second goal to make it 3-1 in the 63rd.
Wigan also went down to 10 men in the 69th minute, when Wilson Palacios was sent off for a late challenge on Bentley.
