Right, finally. Full respect to anyone heading to Fulham but Sunday marked the end of the season for me, with my 32nd trip to St James’ Park of a long old year that has been testing at times with liberal doses of downright misery.
A quick check back of 2025/26 on the Futbology app informed me that 13 of the previous ventures had been somewhere on the scale of disappointment, a high return compared to recent good times. However, today didn’t really have the capacity to add to this too much.
Earlier in the week I wrote about how there was a case for West Ham winning being a decent outcome for us, with the possibility of getting shot of Spurs a bigger prize (logically, from a competitive point of view) than merely decreasing the appallingness of our final league position by a slot or two.
The offset had to be that certain results meant that an ensuing particular series of results might see eighth place and a conference league spot still attainable, were Sunday to also deliver a particular series of results. Have to admit that’s not what my ambition was at the kick off in August.
I don’t know if it’s encouraging or slightly frustrating that Newcastle produced such a flowing display of football for a controlled and enjoyable win. On the one hand you might feel a stir of optimism of a front line of Osula and Woltemade creating havoc in a dazzlingly successful 26/27 campaign. Alternatively, one may well wonder where such effervescence has been during the points haemorrhage of late winter and spring, with a fear of reverting to type for the new season and enduring another patchy season that would really crack the foundations laid these recent years.
As expected, any thoughts of being OK with a Hammers victory were obliterated as I took my seat and saw the tremendous Wor Flags tribute to the outgoing Kieran Trippier, one of the most impressive and transformative signings in the club history, the keystone of this successful era. It is an absolute lottery to guess where Tripps ends up next, with discussions pre-match ranging from MLS to Wrexham to Celebrity Love Island. Wherever he goes, he takes the good wishes of Newcastle with him.
Tripps was involved early on as his corner found it’s way via Tonali to Bruno and his speculative effort was deflected away by the outstretched elbow of Soucek. Given the end of season nature of this game and the way it turned out, I don’t feel particularly aggrieved that the VAR didn’t award the obvious penalty, but if it was a match of inflated importance I’d be furious. The handball situation is a befuddling, inconsistent shambles and sorting it out is second only to the ridiculous minuscule offside calls if VAR is to remain remotely fit for purpose. Soucek moved his arm towards the ball to deflect it away and I don’t see how this wasn’t nailed on.
This was to prove temporary respite for the hapless Hammers though, who looked every inch a relegation side in a feeble display at such a crucial juncture for them. A wayward pass in an attempt to play out from the back was seized by Barnes, who steamed down the right flank and into the box, before lifting his head and picking out the onrushing Woltemade. Big Nick finished very well on the volley but the way he wandered into the box having been neglected by two trailing runners was not Premier League defending.
It only took a couple of minutes before West Ham once again demonstrated their Championship standard defending, in conceding the goal that may very well have sealed their demotion to that league. To be fair it was a slick, incisive move by Newcastle that tore them apart beginning at the back with neat interplay between Trippier, Barnes and Bruno to release Ramsey on the right. His perfectly weighted through ball was similar to the one that set Barnes away at Forest, with William Osula the recipient this time. The Dane seems to ooze confidence at the minute and he strode powerfully through and finished between the keeper’s legs. Lovely play but undoubtedly assisted by the meandering runs and shocking positioning from the opponents.
The Irons did decide to partake in the game for a bit, with any effort to achieve something from the match seemingly driven by one man. Taty Castellanos was thrown on with barely a half hour gone in pace of Todibo and within moments he’d brought a sharp save from Pope, who had a solid afternoon.
A bit of a rarity occurred next, as I got a text from my wife commenting on the game. She seemed certain that Soucek should have been sent off for a collision with Bruno that just looked a bit scrappy to me, taking place as it did at the very opposite side of the ground. A view of the replays proved that Mrs S was indeed right (as usual) as Soucek bundles Bruno over then digs a couple of petty little kicks into his ribs. Bruno shot up, furious at this but somehow the ref saw it as a mere yellow and the VAR was not moved to intervene. Soucek did get away with a lot of cheating today didn’t he?
Any actual fight West Ham may have had left was knocked out of them on the hour mark. Yet more sloppy defending saw Willock rob Pablo and release Osula in on the final defender. The kind of textbook calm attacking interplay that has been absent on many occasions was executed beautifully, as Osula and Willock interchanged passes with the latter squaring for the striker to slot in his second and all but extinguish West Ham’s lingering hopes. That’s six goals since March for Osula, and serious consideration as to what role he’ll play in next season’s (hopeful) renaissance.
Thoughts of a landslide similar to the hiding I’d given my mates at Flight Club pre match dissipated a bit when Castellanos continued his one man crusade for a transfer by cracking in a goal of the month contender. A long goal kick by Hermansen bounced up and Castellanos hit it first time on the half volley, over Pope’s head and into top bins from outside the box. He doesn’t look like a Taty mind, a point further proved as he continued his one man attack, smashing a volley off the bar and being denied again by a Pope double save.
The West Ham fans up a height made their displeasure known to their team and mostly cleared off before the end. Sadly, Tottenham now need a single point from a pair of games with Chelsea and Everton to survive at the Hammers expense, with their slim hopes relying on Spurs drawing a blank while they beat Leeds.
Newcastle’s situation is far less bleak but still uninspiring after recent years. This win saw us in 11th place, with a possibility of Europe arguably less likely than our visitors chances of remaining in the top flight. We actually need Spurs to get that point off Chelsea, then we can sneak into eighth on the final day should the mackems and Chelsea draw, Liverpool beat Brentford and of course, we finish on a high at Fulham. Victory at Craven Cottage should at least give the scant consolation of a top half finish and possible retention of the north east top dogs trophy we’ve held for nine years without mentioning.
As I said though, this is all meagre crumbs given the hopes we had a year ago. I applauded the team’s performance on the day but did not stick around for the standard lap of honour that the season did not merit. I will hope for that slight improvement in status at Fulham next week then I’ll gladly take a break from all things Newcastle United until the pre-season ramps up.
For perspective, 2025-26 has been far from being one of our worst seasons in memory. Reasonable cup runs, the joy of Champions League nights and a non-threatening mid table finish all add up to much better stuff than most of what we’ve witnessed in the past couple of decades at least. However, given the investment and progress to date, it has been a huge step backwards and seeing the back of it is a welcome relief. Happy summer everyone (oh look it’s raining).
Newcastle United 3 West Ham United 1 – Sunday 17 May 2026 5.30pm
Match Stats
Goals:
Woltemade 15 Osula 18, 65
West Ham:
Castellanos 69
Possession was Newcastle 55% West Ham 45%
Total shots were Newcastle 15 West Ham 15
Shots on target were Newcastle 7 West Ham 8
Corners were Newcastle 9 West Ham 1
Touches in the opposition box Newcastle 43 West Ham 34
Newcastle team v West Ham:
Pope, Trippier (Elanga 85), Thiaw, Botman, Hall, Bruno, Tonali (Willock 53), Ramsey, Barnes (Jacob Murphy 75), Woltemade (Burn 75), Osula (Wissa 85)
Unused subs:
Ramsdale, Gordon, Alex Murphy, Neave
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