Apocalyptic clouds aside, this performance was the clearest sign that relegation may be in our destiny. On a day where a perfectly good goal was disallowed for nothing and our best defender was given an early bath, there seemed an inevitability to it all.
Forgoing the chance of playing our way to safety, we're back in the mire hoping for favours from newly crowned champions and a transitional team thinking of their holidays and the identity of their next manager.
Regardless, this shouldn't have been the case. The atmosphere was nothing compared to 'Boro and the performance matched it. Fulham are a well drilled side under Hodgson and although never on top, always looked capable of capitalising on any mistakes and with some suicidal defending we royally obliged... twice.
Fulham's goal, which took the points, came from some over zealous attacking play. Both Beye and Duff were caught up field, and when Bassong and S.Taylor decided to play the offside trap seconds apart Fulham took advantage of the two v two situation. Things looked hopeless from that point on. As in many games Newcastle huffed and puffed but didn't really offer much.
The game became a forgone conclusion with Bassong's dismissal. The young Frechman given straight red for pulling the shirt of his opponent. The fact that Bassong had got away with it for the previous twenty yards was a surprise but nowhere near as shocking as Steve Harper's retreat to the goal line. Had Harper raced to Bassong's help, it may well have had a bearing on a) the ref's opinion on a goal scoring opportunity or b) Bassong's desire to pull the shirt in the first place. Like Maverick in Top Gun after Goose died, Harper just couldn't engage with the bogies all over him. Let's hope the club's future keepers aren't as content to stay on the goal line at the first sign of a threat.
As the final whistle blew, a collective sigh rang out. As Beye trudged off last down the tunnel, this writer couldn't help sigh further, wondering if his favourite player had played his last game at St James'...
Habib Beye Watch Round-up....
BBC Player Rater = 5.6
Sky Sports = 5
SkySports Player Rater = 4.2
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