Toon celebrate ton after win

Lovenkrands: United winner

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Newcastle surpassed the 100-point barrier by beating QPR 1-0 to round their Championship title winning campaign in style.

The Magpies had already secured their return to the Premier League at the first time of asking by winning the division comfortably, however they were in no mood to relent as they disposed of Neil Warnock's side.

The Rs were always going to face a difficult task against the champions but their job was made all the more difficult when former United defender Peter Ramage saw red moments after the restart.

And Newcastle took advantage to canter to their 30th league win of the season when Peter Lovenkrands' tidy finish in the 71st minute ensured they waved goodbye to the Championship on a high.

Uninspiring affair

The first half was an uninspiring affair, with both sets of players in end-of-season mode on a slippy pitch which had to pass a morning inspection.

Newcastle's ex-Hoops winger Wayne Routledge tried to lift the tedium with a sharp turn and shot but his effort flew straight at home goalkeeper Radek Cerny.

At the other end, Akos Buzsaky blazed a decent chance high over the crossbar, before stand-in goalkeeper Tim Krul made a meal of holding onto Alejandro Faurlin's drive.

There was little else to get excited about until seconds before the interval when Jay Simpson raced onto Faurlin's fine long pass, but his touch let him down and Krul was able to gather.

The second half was just 15 seconds old when Ameobi charged past Ramage and was hauled down.

Deadman decided the defender was the last man and Ramage cut a disconsolate figure as he trudged off.

Breakthrough

The dismissal seemed to spark Rangers into life and they had the ball in the net in the 55th minute, but Tamas Priskin was marginally offside when he collected Simpson's pass and chipped Krul.

But it was the visitors who eventually made the breakthrough with a goal of Premier League quality.

Joey Barton's pass split the Rangers defence and Lovenkrands, who had been on the pitch for 17 minutes, beat the offside trap before lofting his finish over Cerny and into an empty net.

Simpson could have spoiled the party and hauled Rangers level when he scampered clear again, but Krul stayed big to block his shot and the Magpies held to end with a win.