Michael Owen has an off day

Newcastle 0 Chelsea 2

NEWCASTLE UNITED failed to kill off Chelsea’s title dream tonight at St James’s Park as Avram Grant’s troops ran out 2-0 winners thanks to goals from Michael Ballack and Florent Malouda.

The defeat against the Champions League finalists ended the Magpies’ home campaign in disappointing fashion and ended Kevin Keegan’s seven game unbeaten run.

United made just one change to the team that drew at West Ham with Abdoulaye Faye shaking off a groin injury to replace David Edgar who had still not recovered from a knock to the head at Upton Park.

On the bench there was a chance for Charles N’Zogbia with the Frenchman’s future on Tyneside still very much up in the air.

Chelsea arrived at St James’s Park knowing they couldn’t afford to lose with the Geordie Nation fired up for a big send off for the summer in the Magpies’ final home match of a testing campaign.

United won a free-kick 30 yards from goal on five minutes but Geremi fired the ball over the top.

Owen then had a great chance two minutes later when Nicky Butt clipped a ball into the box for the England man but he hooked it high over the top of Petr Cech’s goal.

Oba Martins was next to test Cech when a piercing run through the middle before a rasping drive went straight into the arms of the eastern European stopper.

Chelsea were struggling to make any kind of breakthrough early on with Michael Essien’s tame shot the only effort of note in the opening 20 minutes.

With a quarter of the game played a Martins cross was headed away by John Terry before Habib Beye struck one at goal only for the Senegal star’s snapshot to sail into the Gallowgate.

On 28 minutes Unitred came so close when Viduka, and Martins tested Cech before the Czech Republic star kept them out and even when the Chelsea keeper was beaten Terry cleared on the line from Owen with the Blues well and truly rocking.

Angry scenes then erupted as Drogba wiped out Taylor with both benches on their feet but Steve Bennett didn’t book the Ivory Coast ace.

Terry though was shown a yellow card when he upended Owen after his England colleague had poked the ball through his legs 10 minutes before the break.

But Chelsea should have grabbed the lead just seconds later as Essien slipped in Michael Ballack but the German waited too long before firing high and wide at the far post from a tricky angle on the left.

During the break Viduka was replaced by Alan Smith with the Aussie reportedly suffering from a back problem.

Newcastle started the second half on the back foot and after Chelsea forced a corner on 54 minutes Terry leapt high from Malouda’s corner to crash a header off the bar.

Malouda then flew past Faye on the edge of the box with the Senegal man tripping the Chelsea star to hand his side a free-kick.

And on the hour Droga flicked the ball into Ballack’s path who nodded beyond Harper to break the deadlock.

Chelsea made their first change of the day on 66 minutes when Frank Lampard replaced Nicolas Anelka.

Ricardo Carvalho fouled Owen on the edge of the dee on 68 minutes to hand United a great chance with ex-Chelsea man Geremi stepping up to take the set-piece.

However, Malouda’s early charge down of the free-kick resulted in a yellow card to give Newcastle another chance but Chelsea survived once again.

Geremi was soon replaced by Damien Duff as another former Stamford Bridge star entered the fray.

Martins went sent an effort wickedly close with 19 minutes left and from the resultant corner Owen stabbed wide with Chelsea just hanging on.

Yet they went on to wrap the game up as a contest with nine minutes left to leave Chelsea still in the title hunt.

A Ballack through ball picked out Malouda who slipped it past Harper for 2-0.

Newcastle manager Kevin Keegan:
"I like Avram Grant very much and think this Chelsea side is exceptional.

"In any other season they would have been worthy champions but I can't see Manchester United slipping up at Wigan - even on that pitch, which isn't very good.

"I think we gave Chelsea a hell of a game in the first half today but their class shone through.

"But they are both quality sides with great players, who will be worthy champions."

Newcastle: Harper, Beye, Taylor, Faye, Jose Enrique (N'Zogbia 77), Geremi (Duff 71), Butt, Barton, Viduka (Smith 46), Owen, Martins.
Subs Not Used: Forster, Cacapa.

Booked: Faye, Jose Enrique.

Chelsea: Cech, Ferreira, Terry, Carvalho (Alex 79), Bridge, Essien, Obi, Ballack, Anelka (Lampard 66), Drogba (Shevchenko 86), Malouda.
Subs Not Used: Cudicini, Joe Cole.

Booked: Terry, Malouda.

Goals: Ballack 61, Malouda 82.

Att: 52,305

Ref: Steve Bennett (Kent).