Kevin Keegan in such full praise to his fellow Everton manager David Moyes for their wonderful achievement to finish fifth this season and get the UEFA spot.

Toon Sunday’s 3-1 defeat at Goodison Park saw the difference between a team with something to fight for against Newcastle team with nothing to lose and just play to complete the season off. To have lost Martins, Viduka, Geremi and Barton in the squad makes it even worst as we don’t have enough back-up.

Being out-played and fell behind in the 29th minute, we looked out of inspiration without supplies from Geremi and no Martins to break the Everton defence. Carroll is still far away from being decent Premier League striker although he looks promising for the future.

Michael Owen is being push as the target men once again but couple of times to have misunderstanding with his striking partner Carroll to make it easy for Toffees defenders to keep him quiet most of the game. In midfield, we are one player less with Alan Smith playing as he always be, useless.

“Everton are an inspiration to everyone.” KK said after the game, “They haven’t got a massive squad but they made good investment in the summer with players such as Yakubu, Lescott and Jagielka.”

“They have a got a good squad and a great togetherness and a lot of very good professionals. But if they can do it then why can’t we?” Toon gaffer added more.

True, we have to create the new Newcastle team next season, a team with togetherness and feel responsible in every match. Keegan said we will offload Carr, Ramage and Troisi next season, but what about Smith, Duff and…. N’Zogbia?

About Peter Ramage, I don’t have bad feeling for him, for me he’s such a player as he is but since Keegan have a little too many in our defence, I can understand why Keegan decide to give Ramage the chance for him to look for more opportunities to play more often somewhere with other team.

The same thing with Troisi. Although for some games he looks decent player, but I don’t think he can win first team squad in near future, so it may good for him to look elsewhere. Carr, well…what can I say about him?

Smith and Duff defenitely off, they have finished long before and they should go too. Zoggy, hard to decide. He’s one of the Toon player who is lively yesterday and he also create the one and only goal for us from a penalty spot. I hope Keegan has the plan for him and can keep him next season. Charles still worth to keep in Black-and-White, as I think Duff will packing and leave next season.

This is nothing to do with helping or not helping the other team to win the title this season, and I can accept the defeat as long as we have been playing well thoroughly the 90 minutes.

It was another wrong player in the wrong place when Keegan once again give Alan Smith a probably his last chance in Black-and-White. He has not giving anything for this team since his move from Manchester United in summer last year. His one and only goal for Newcastle was in the pre-season match but after that he’s just a waste of money.

In the first-half we actually give the visitors so much to think about if they’re trying to play us, and we have an early chance to lead when Nicky Butt plays in Michael Owen with a smart lob and stolen a march on John Terry, with just Cech to beat, Toon skipper can only direct his first time volley over the crossbar.

With only around half an hour, Michael Owen once again has been giving great opportunity to beat the deadlock. Ferreira slides in to try steal the ball from Martins, but the Nigerian poised to strike in, the ball runs for Viduka whose his effort being kept out by Cech.

The ball rolls free again and it was Michael Owen who has the last strike for Toon but see his kick denied by Terry who is back on the line to clear.

But, the real show has come in near the dying minutes. Martins starts to causing problems, his cross sees Beye slash-in an effort wide of Cech’s target. While minutes before that a generous applause from the Toon Army to our Lads for Newcastle move that involving at least 20 neat-passes but unlucky end with a Chelsea goal-kick after Barton tries to get the end of Martins’ throughball.

The good story suddenly come to an end with Alan Smith having replaced Mark Viduka in second-half. Disaster coming in. Starting with the second corner for the visitors, and some sharp Chelsea passing start to cause us some real problems.

They finally works for a chance to an opening for Ballack inside the penalty area, the German is just about to pull the trigger but Steven Taylor arrives in the nick of time to divert the ball behind for a corner.

On the second period, we are never get the chance to get back into the game as good as we did in the first half, thanks to Alan Smith! It was Chelsea who dominate the game and they get the goal they deserve when Malouda is taken out by Faye on the right and received the yellow card.

Drogba clips over the free-kick to the near post where the sloppy defending from United release Ballack unmarked and he guides his header beyond Steve Harper to give the visitors the lead.

Our one and only chance this half coming again for Owen whose ghosted in to beat the offside trap but again his finishing inches away from connecting to level the scores. The game was practically end when they have the second goal in 82 minutes from a slick move from Lampard spring Malouda clear to finish the ball low under Harper.

Fortunate Newcastle United avoided the frist defeat in Keegan’s last seven matches at the hands of West Ham, in a day where we were once again the poor side for the first 40 minutes.

The home side had an early goal from Mark Noble before Dean Ashton added their second in the midway of first-half. But, the relieving Toon gaffer would have to thanks his African squad members after Martins and Geremi get us back in action in the last 2 minutes of first-half.

I also consider we’re the lucky side too when Uriah Rennie refused to award a penalty for the home team when the ball hit Michael Owen on the hand.

“I would sooner be a lucky manager than a good one,” Keegan said. “For me, Alex Ferguson is a very lucky manager, but unfortunately not today.”

It looks like Keegan will have to think any other possible options for our next fixture at home against Chelsea. To be honest, starting from our last week game against the mackems, we have been less impressive if not bad performance. Yesterday, Harper’s distribution was so bad, and forced Keegan to had Fraser Forster warming up after 25 minutes.

The 33 years-old stopper, although not being superior in distributions, have a decent save when he deny Ashton’s rasping shot 10 minutes from the end, while a last-ditch save by Green from Martins ends the second-half with no further goals from both team.

“I have never handled a player quite like Martins,” Keegan said after the match when asked his opinion about Martins, “He does fantastic things and he is more of a team player now.”

A draw means we have lost a great chance to climb up above Spurs after they also only have a draw against the bottom rock team Bolton Wanderers.

West Ham United:
Robert Green, John Pantsil, George McCartney, Lucas Neill (c), James Tomkins, Julien Faubert, Mark Noble, Scott Parker, Bobby Zamora, Dean Ashton
Subs: Nobby Solano, James Walker, Carlton Cole, Hayden Mullins, Luis Boa Morte

Newcastle United FC:
Steve Harper, Habib Beye, Jose Enrique, David Edgar, Steven Taylor, Nicky Butt, Geremi, Joey Barton, Oba Martins, Michael Owen (c), Mark Viduka
Subs: Fraser Forster, Damien Duff, Lamine Diatta, Alan Smith, Andy Carroll

Referee: Uriah Rennie
Attendance: 34, 980