Newcastle on verge of first division spot

Press, 26 April 1984, Page 29

Newcastle on verge of first division spot

NZPA-Reuter London Newcastle United, spearheaded by Kevin Keegan, moved closer to a return to the English soccer first division by hammering Carlisle 5-1 at home on Tuesday.

The victory consolidated Newcastle's hold on third place in division two and. with clos-

est rivals. Manchester Citylosing 3-2 at home to Hudders

field. United seem certain to join Sheffield Wednesday and Chelsea in the rise to division one next season

Newcastle are seven points ahead of the fourth-placed Manchester City and only the top three clubs can gain promotion. Both have four matches left. The irony for Newcastle, however, is’ that Keegan, the former England international

and European Player of the Year, who scored twice on Tuesday, has insisted he will retire after this season.

In division one, Ipswich im proved their chances of avoid

ing the drop by beating their East Anglian neighbours. Norwich, 2-0 to move fourth from the bottom above Stoke City, who lost 2-1 at home to Queens Park Rangers.

Keegan, who can expect spirited attempts to persuade him to extend his career, opened Newcastle's scoring in the twelfth minute, and after Chris Waddle had made it 2-0. he got his second and his

twenty-sixth of the season eight minutes into the second half.

Results: ENGLISH LEAGUE

Division one — Birmingham 1. Arsenal 1; Everton 2. Wolverhampton 0; Ipswich 2. Norwich 0; Stoke 1. Queens

Park Rangers 2; West Bromwich 3. Sunderland 1. Division two— Barnsley 0. Blackburn 0: Cardiff I. Derby 0: Crystal Palace 2. Charlton 6; Fulham 5. Brighton 1; Grimsby 0. Cambridge 0; Manchester City 2. Huddersfield 3: Newcastle 5. Carlisle 1

Division three — Burnley 0. Walsall 2; Gillingham 1. Bristol Rovers 2; Hull 5, Rotherham 0: Lincoln 1, Southend 2; Millwall

1. Wimbledon 1; Wigan 0. Brad ford 1.

Division four — Aidershot 5. Colchester 1. Bury 2, Chesterfield 0; Halifax 5. Rochdale 0: Tranmere 0. York 1; Hereford 2. Stockport O. Torquay 2. Reading 2.