Uefa Intertoto Cup semi-final/ Newcastle 1 Deprtivo la Coruna 2: Graeme Souness has said all summer long that domestic rather than European success is his priority at Newcastle United this season. It is just as well.
His team's interest in Europe is now as observers and the manager can now concentrate on the domestic scene, though if Newcastle defend in the Premiership and FA Cup as they did here then their meaningful participation will be brief in both competitions.
To lose to Deportivo La Coruna, albeit in the Intertoto Cup, is no disgrace, and this marked Alan Shearer's last-ever European match.
But whether that relaxed view of an historic moment is taken in the boardroom is another matter. Souness's chairman Freddy Shepherd repeated beforehand that Newcastle "need" to be in Europe and the fear for Souness is that this may prove not to be Newcastle's last farewell of the summer.
Requiring a 1-0 victory to progress they went ahead with James Milner's 38th-minute goal, but in a bad-tempered match defensive errors from three of Newcastle's back four allowed Jorge Andrade to equalise and Pedro Munitis to record Deportivo's second 2-1 win in a week. Where, and to whom, Newcastle go from here are now the questions Tyneside has to consider.
Newcastle began with three changes from the side that lost 2-1 in Spain last Wednesday but with Parker and Emre being given their first taste of life in black and white at St James', this was always going to be likely.
The manager's mood cannot be described as exasperated - yet - but Souness cannot have been heartened by Fenerbahce's reiteration last night that Nicolas Anelka will cost £14 million.
Even with almost a full quarter of the tie remaining Deportivo's 4-2 advantage felt insurmountable. Had Molina not foiled Shearer's low drive on 51 minutes or even had Shearer steered in rather than over Milner's 63rd-minute cross, then it might have seemed more hopeful. In truth, hope had left the stadium already. - Guardian Service
NEWCASTLE: Given, Carr, Elliott, Emre (Brittain 90), Boumsong, Shearer, Bowyer, Faye (Ameobi 53), Milner (N'Zogbia 72), Parker, Taylor. Subs not used: Harper, Ramage, Chopra. Booked: Parker, Shearer, Taylor, Elliott. Goals: Milner 39.
DEPORTIVO LA CORUNA: Molina, Manuel Pablo, Andrade, Capdevila, Romero, Duscher, Scaloni, Sergio (Valeron 72), Munitis, Ruben Castro (Juanma 63), Tristan (Luque 55). Subs not used: Dani Mallo, Victor, Acuna, De Guzman. Booked: Tristan, Munitis, Manuel Pablo, Juanma. Goals: Andrade 45, Munitis 48.
Referee: H Fleischer (Germany).
