Kevin Keegan is determined to send Newcastle United's fans away excited for the start of next season. The Magpies manager and his rejuvenated players will put their six-match unbeaten run to the test at West Ham United knowing a victory would take them to within two points of their 10th-placed hosts with two fixtures remaining.
A top-half finish may yet prove beyond Newcastle but to come close, just a matter of weeks after they found themselves thrust into a battle for Barclays Premier League survival, would represent a significant achievement.

For Keegan, who is determined not to be saddled with the club's lowest ever Premier League points total - he needs one more to equal the 43 Glenn Roeder collected last time around and two to beat it - it would be a satisfactory end to a frustrating campaign.