Draw ends Newcastle bid

Newcastle United FC will not be returning to the UEFA Champions League next season despite a last-gasp equaliser earning a 3-3 draw at Southampton FC.

Liverpool delight
The result leaves Newcastle four points behind fourth-placed Liverpool FC in the Premiership with only one game left, ironically between those two sides on Saturday. Liverpool themselves are now virtually certain to join Manchester United FC in the Champions League third qualifying round as they are three points ahead of Aston Villa FC in fifth, but with a goal difference superiority of 12.

UEFA Cup race
Indeed, the result still leaves Newcastle a point behind Villa in the race for fifth and the remaining UEFA Cup berth, but it seemed things were going Newcastle's way when Shola Ameobi gave them a seventh-minute lead.

Two home equalisers
James Beattie equalised in the 19th minute after Shay Given could only parry Anders Svensson's shot, but 16 minutes later Lee Bowyer restored Newcastle's lead with a low shot. However, Newcastle had lost the lead in drawing against Wolverhampton Wanderers FC on Sunday and were pegged back again before the break when visiting defender Titus Bramble turned Fabrice Fernandes's cross into his own net.

Blaney debut
Sir Bobby Robson's Newcastle kept the pressure on in the second half in search of victory, but Southampton's debutant goalkeeper Alan Blaney was in impressive form and Darren Ambrose and Steve Caldwell were both denied by the crossbar.

Late goals
Then with two minutes left Southampton substitute Leandre Griffit seemed to have secured victory when he poked the ball past Shay Given. But in the third minute of added time Ambrose turned in a corner to salvage a point, when Newcastle had really needed three.