Newcastle United sealed the Championship title with a 2-0 win at Home Park which confirmed Plymouth Argyle’s relegation to League One.
First half goals from Andy Carroll and Wayne Routledge gave the away side their 29th win of the season, and their highest ever points tally in the second tier of English football – overtaking their previous record of 96, when Kevin Keegan guided the Magpies to promotion in 1993.
Defeat for Plymouth left them six points adrift of safety, but with Crystal Palace and Sheffield Wednesday still to play one another on the final day of the season, their drop to League One was mathematically confirmed.
Newcastle needed just one point from their 800 mile round trip to wrap up the title, whereas anything less than a draw would all seal Plymouth’s fate – a difficult task for the Pilgrims, who boasted the division’s worst home record.
Plymouth looked lively in the opening exchanges of the match, with Steve Harper doing well to keep out Jamie Mackie’s shot, while Bondz N’Gala’s unmarked header from the ensuing corner sailing over the bar.
But it was Newcastle who drew first blood when Danny Guthrie’s corner found Andy Carroll’s in the penalty area, who header found its was through a crowd of Plymouth defenders and into the net for his sixteenth goal of the season.
The away side soon doubled their lead with a goal that showed true quality, as Joey Barton’s precise through ball split the Plymouth defence to find Wayne Routledge, who coolly took the ball around Plymouth goalkeeper David Stockdale and fire home from a narrow angle.
The gulf in class between the two sides soon started to show, although Plymouth had some good opportunities at the end of the half with Bradley-Wright Phillips and Alan Judge both firing over from long distance.
Paul Mariner’s men pushed forward in the second half, as another audacious effort from Alan Judge struck the crossbar from distance, but as has been the issue for Argyle all season, there was little end product.
Newcastle began to turn the screw in the last ten minutes of the match as Leon Best’s fine strike smashed off the crossbar, and Joey Barton’s close range effort was spectacularly saved by Stockdale.
Although Plymouth continued to fight for their Championship status in the closing stages, it was simply too little too late, and yet another defeat at Home Park saw them relegated to League One.
Newcastle, on the other hand, can look forward to a swift return to the Premier League next season.
Man of the Match – Wayne Routledge
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