Will Osula scored twice as Newcastle edged West Ham to the brink of relegation from the Premier League.
The Danish striker struck either side of half-time after record signing Nick Woltemade had given the Magpies an early lead with his first league goal since December to ease his side to a 3-1 victory on a day when the Toon Army paid tribute to Kieran Trippier on his final appearance at St James’ Park.
Substitute Taty Castellanos reduced the deficit with an eye-catching finish to spark a late rally during which he hit the crossbar, but ultimately it counted for little.
Defeat means the Hammers will be relegated on Tuesday if Tottenham win at Chelsea, where a draw would effectively send them down because of their significantly inferior goal difference.
Even if Spurs lost at Stamford Bridge, Nuno Espirito Santo’s men would need to beat Leeds at home and hope that their neighbours lose to Everton on their own pitch to stay up.
The hosts eased themselves into the game with Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes and Jacob Ramsey seeing plenty of the ball in midfield, and Osula mustered the game’s first real attempt with an 11th-minute shot which was deflected wide.
They took the lead with 15 minutes gone when, after Harvey Barnes had picked off goalkeeper Mads Hermansen’s pass to defender Jean-Clair Todibo, he made ground and crossed for Woltemade to side-foot home.
It was 2-0 within four minutes as Trippier, Barnes, Guimaraes and Ramsey combined delightfully to play Osula through, and he out-paced defender Axel Disasi before firing past the advancing Hermansen.
Playing some of their most fluent football for some time, the Magpies repeatedly cut through a porous West Ham defence and Nuno made his move with just 26 minutes gone, withdrawing Todibo to send on Taty and abandoning his back three to switch to a four.
They immediately looked more compact and Nick Pope had to react smartly to beat away Taty’s first-time 29th-minute shot after Crysencio Summerville had raced past Trippier and pulled the ball back.
With Mateus Fernandes, aided and abetted by Jarrod Bowen and Summerville, prompting, the visitors started to make an impression, although the home side continued to threaten and Hermansen had to field a Barnes shot on the stroke of half-time.
The pattern of the first half was largely repeated after the break with the Hammers much improved but struggling to break through the Magpies’ rearguard and Eddie Howe’s men looking more likely to add to their tally.
Fernandes snapped a 57th-minute shot into Pope’s arms, but Guimaraes curled inches over at the other end seconds later.
Summerville continued to terrorise Newcastle down their right but without reward, and his side fell further behind with 25 minutes remaining when Joe Willock robbed fellow substitute Pablo and exchanged passes with Osula before crossing for the striker to score his second of the game.
Taty’s spectacular first-time finish as he latched onto Hermansen’s clearance four minutes later gave the Londoners faint hope and he then clipped the crossbar with the Magpies sleeping, but there was no way back.
PA
