43mins Playing in his final home game, David Weir was left unmarked at the far post to head Arteta's lofted free kick past Given in the Park End goal. The "foul" had been dubiously awarded by Knight after Bent fell over near Boumsong. 0-1

Half time: Everton 1 Newcastle 0

59mins Arteta's poor attempt at a shot bounced in front of Cahill in our box and Everton's top scorer converted with ease to seal the points. 0-2

Full time: Everton 2 Newcastle 0

Souness said:

"The referee was apologising to some of our lads before the game for the penalty he gave in that Aston Villa match. It was outside the box and he said that.

"That was the game when we had three players sent off out of extreme frustration. But Mr Knight escaped without any criticism that day and this time he has given a free-kick to Everton that wasn't and it changed the game.

"There were other decisions he got wrong. We feel hard done by again because of Mr Knight. I won't defend Ameobi for what he did and when he was sent off the game was over but Boumsong says it wasn't a foul on Bent when they scored their first."

"We dominated the first half and were guilty of not taking our chances. Then we conceded a bad goal we didn't deserve to let in, and after that Everton's fans got behind their side and we were very subdued.

"It could have been a very different game. But football is about reality. It should have been 0-0 at half-time because the referee got it wrong again.

"The last time we had him against Aston Villa he got it wrong there. And the same thing happened this time. We keep picking the tab up. It hurts, it bloody hurts.

"I cannot defend Shola Ameobi in any way, shape or form."

Shola Ameobi:

"I did something that you are not allowed to do: I reacted wrongly to the situation and the referee did his job by sending me off.

"I apologised to the lads straight away because I let them down. I felt we could have got something from the game and we had played well in the first half, so my red card did not help matters.

"I played the ball around him (Tim Cahill) and he grabbed my shirt. The referee blew for a free-kick to us and he still had my shirt, so I shoved him.

"He is a shorter guy than me. I shoved him in his face rather than his chest. As I said, it was wrong of me to react, but I did not think he needed to go down like he did. That got me sent off."

Alan Shearer:

"I have heard it said that I was left out at my own request but it was a joint decision between me and the manager.

"To tell the truth I have felt absolutely shattered and I have got to admit that I have been very down following that night in Lisbon when we were knocked out of the UEFA Cup.

"I am looking forward to Chelsea on Sunday and we owe it to our fans to have a go, which we will, but I am also looking forward to the end of the season.

"It has been a tough season. In fact, it has been one of the longest and toughest I can remember and we are looking forward to having a rest in the close season and we also know there is a lot of work to be done."

Well it wasn't quite as warm as it was on that opening day back in August on smogside, but our final away day ultimately matched the first one, in being decided by the intervention of a forward's hand.

Nine months ago we were feeling hard done by after Hasselbaink's last minute leveller had been allowed to stand, despite him palming it into Given's goal.

And today we were undone by the hand of Ameobi, as he reached out to cuff Tim Cahill ten minutes after the break. 

Calling it a punch would have been like calling Dyer's attempt to land one on Bowyer brutal, but Shola's transgression was plain for all to see and rightly punished. 

And had the referee really been against us, then he'd have dismissed Kluivert for trying something similar.

Is it any wonder then Shearer is staying on, with our other three striking choices all bearing the label "damaged goods" and those problems being sufficient to see Chopra coming back into the frame now.

At the time of the sending off we'd dominated the majority of play, quietened the home fans, created more chances and looked more progressive, sharper and livelier than than the Moyes boys.

Yes we'd gone behind for the only the fifth time in away games this season, but hopes were high amongst the toon contingent that we'd get something out of this game and extend our unbeaten run in the league to four games ahead of the final day test against the champions..... 

Instead we once again walked into a rake, slipped on a banana skin, hammered a nail into our own finger, whatever - insert the self-inflicted injury of your choice.

Everton prospered, we withered and once again the die was cast. A team who collectively seem to be suffering from osteoporosis - that's brittle bone disease to you and me - although brittle brain might be more appropriate.

Putting aside minor points like the inexplicable eight minute sub outing for Shearer at the end and the unexpected and undeserved appearance of Babayaro, then once again it's hard not to feel some sympathy for Souness in terms of what is going on out on the field, week after week.

Quite what he could have done to turn the missed first half chances into goals and keep Shola on the field isn't clear to this correspondent - the latter perhaps being only preventable by putting something in his halftime cuppa...

However, our inability to defend deep incoming crosses (Lisbon, Norwich etc.) seems to remain regardless of personnel and points to an organisational shortcoming.

The goings-on at Newcastle this season have taken their toll on morale on and off the field and today was just another classic manifestation of our plight, another set of unfortunate circumstances conspiring against us.

If Souness does pay the ultimate penalty for our failures this season, he would be entitled to ask two questions - could anyone have done anything better and if so, who? 

Having seen every minute of every senior game this season, we don't have the answers to either. 

For every argument about signings and selection there's a counter one about the problems of attracting players here plus the injuries. For every perceived on-field weakness, there's an off-field problem to be dealt with. 

The ultimate problem of course has been the number of players who have made themselves unavailable for selection in circumstances that don't bear close examination - a check of our own notes confirming no less than nine instances in as many months when our eyebrows have been raised. 

But - he takes the money, he takes the credit and his name's on the door, so on that basis Souness can be held accountable for our league position and failure to win trophies. 

There's so much else wrong at the club though that is out of his hands - be it a lack of young players coming through in certain positions, yet more poor PR or a host of different concerns. 

Even the most rabid of those in the anti-Souness camp couldn't pin those on him.    

This wasn't meant to be a season of transition and in that respect the Chairman has been proved right - we haven't even got that far yet. 

Biffa

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