Fulham 0 Newcastle 1

So our plunge down the table from a position of false security into the relegation places is complete!

That late Joey Barton penalty was like a dagger thrust through our hearts as, once again, we capitulated to a late, late goal.

Walking home (thanks London Underground) gave me plenty of time to mull over the events of yesterday.

In the relative solitude of darkness everything seems so much harsher, so much bleaker and so much more finite!

How often do we moan about the number of minutes allocated to stoppage time?

How often do we plead for a couple of more minutes to try and turn things around?

Well yesterday I`d have been perfectly happy for the referee to call an end to proceedings dead on ninety minutes, I`d have been happy to walk away with the spoils shared from a game that was never going to be described as a classic.

Instead I had to watch, fingers crossed, that Anti Niemi could pull of yet another miracle and somehow get to Barton`s penalty.

Instead I could only grimace as five thousand travelling Newcastle supporters celebrated their Christmas coming early!

How I`d love our quaint little club to be able to muster travelling support on that scale one day!

The arguments will rage long into the week about the decision to award the penalty, no doubt Lawrie will deliver a broadside in someone`s direction as the first ripples of discontent reverberated around Craven Cottage.

Unfortunately, the decision is never going to be reversed and young Elliot Omozusi will remember his nineteenth birthday for all the wrong reasons.

So, amidst all the doom and gloom, are there any positive aspects to report on?

Well not really!

We`re starting to resemble a side that has doubts about their ability to get that third elusive win of the Premier league season, we`re struggling to string together more than four successive passes and we strut around knowing that 'Lady Luck` has deserted us big time!

Perhaps it`ll all change soon; perhaps the light at the end of the tunnel will become brighter, perhaps we should simply forget all about the travesty of it all yesterday and look forward to next week.

Now, who do we play?

Wigan! How did they get on yesterday?