Newcastle United 1 Crystal Palace 0

90'+4'

Palace win one last free-kick from deep. They loft it forward, but it comes to nothing. That could be it!

90'+2'

Townsend is forced to check onto his right as he goes for goal from distance, but it's a potshot really and sails harmlessly over the bar.

90'

Yedlin races down the left as Newcastle break, but his diagonal switch for Shelvey is poor and goes out for a goal kick.

88'

Sako comes on for McArthur as Hodgson chases a desperate equaliser.

86'

GOAL! Merino scores his first goal for Newcastle! Ritchie delivers a wonderful ball from a corner and the Spaniard rises highest to power his header in for the opening goal! It may well have flicked up to him off of McArthur's head, but he dispatched it well. 1-0 Newcastle!

86'

Ritchie curls in a delightful ball for Atsu, but it's headed away. Newcastle are pushing hard for this winner now.

83'

van Aanholt gives away a needless corner under no pressure. Newcastle take it short and it's played forward for a Palace break, which is eventually halted as black and white shirts get back to regroup.

80'

CHANCE! Loftus-Cheek drives down the right and plays a wonderful ball across the six-yard box for the onrushing van Aanholt, but somehow the left-back can't get on the end of it with the goal gaping and Newcastle escape!

78'

Mitrović is on for Joselu after a lengthy spell out. Could he be the match-winner Newcastle need?

78'

Dann is down after taking a shot right to the face from Atsu. He appears to be conscious though, and looks okay to continue.

77'

Zaha, the talisman, is off for Chelsea loanee Loftus-Cheek. Zaha does not look happy to be coming off, but perhaps the Chelsea youngster will provide an extra spark in the last 15 minutes or so.

76'

Ritchie appears to hit out at Townsend as he tries to stop his run, and the travelling Palace fans are furious that there is no card to accompany the free-kick.

75'

Merino gets forward well but tries to wriggle through three rather than playing it wide and loses out. Poor decision.

74'

CHANCE! Shelvey takes one touch and smashes one at goal, but Speroni dives to block it away! That's better from Newcastle!

72'

CHANCE! Diame twists and turns after Sakho loses out in the air and fires a curling shot towards goal. Speroni does well to catch and hold it though.

70'

Joselu takes a silly risk by giving away a foul again while on a yellow. It was late and needless and could have put his side down to 10 men for the final 20 minutes.

68'

Shelvey takes a set piece from deep instead of Ritchie and it's so wasteful. Straight behind for a goal kick. The home side haven't created anything really and this was a great opportunity for them to nick a goal. You can't help but think that Ritchie should be taking that with his quality.

66'

Joselu lunges in late and gets a booking. Nowhere near the ball there.

66'

Pérez off for Diamé is Benitez's next change as he looks to inspire a bit more from his side.

65'

CHANCE! Newcastle give the ball away again and Townsend cuts in onto his left foot and fires one at goal, but lifts it just over the bar.

64'

Newcastle almost create a chance as Lascelles finds a gap through for Ritchie, who is caught on his heels and slips before he can reach the ball. They've created nothing in this second half.

63'

The only way Palace look like scoring is if Zaha or Townsend either beat the entire defence or put one in the top corner from outside the box - both rather unlikely scenarios.

61'

Palace are getting into good positions but have no presence in the penalty area. Both of their front men are dropping deep and wide to see the ball and create something, but there's nobody in the middle to create chances for!

60'

Manquillo catches McArthur with his studs and gets a deserved booking.

59'

van Aanholt surges forward and finds himself in a central attacking position with defenders backpedalling. His attempted long-distance effort is awful, though, and skews well wide - almost out for a throw-in!

57'

Schlupp gets forward down the left, but his cross is blocked and Palace win a corner. Newcastle were again guilty of sloppy play to gift Palace a break.

56'

Hayden is somewhat unfortunate to be the man taken off for Merino, but the Spanish midfielder coming in will look to be a positive influence.

54'

CHANCE! A poor exhcange by Shelvey gives the ball away and Zaha does well to keep it under pressure. The ball is then played in towards an onrushing Schlupp but he can't get there and the danger is gone.

52'

Lejeune does well to stop an advancing Zaha in his tracks and get the ball away. Palace are in the ascendancy at the moment.

50'

CHANCE! van Aanholt is released down the left and fires a shot just wide of the far post, but the flag is up for offisde anyway.

49'

Manquillo does well to spin away from McArthur but can't find Atsu with his pass. Neither full-back for the home side has really been able to link up well with the winger in front of them so far today.

47'

Shelvey plays a poor pass straight out of play under no real pressure. It's a windy day in Newcastle but that one was along the turf. Poor ball.

45'+2'

Dann's diagonal ball towards Zaha is overhit and it runs out for a goal-kick. That looks like being that for the first half.

46'

And we're back underway as Palace kick us off!

45'

Newcastle try to pump the ball into the box several times, but with Joselu the only physical presence to aim for, the Eagles repel the crosses with relative ease and it ends up back with Elliot, much to the dismay of the home fans.

44'

Much better from both Palace centre-backs in the last few minutes as they help to build form the back and get their team on the front foot.

42'

A frenetic period has been followed by a calm few minutes as Newcastle look to take the momentum out of Palace's attacks.

39'

CHANCE! Best chance of the game so far! Townsend bursts down the right beyond Manquillo and lofts the ball to the back post for Zaha. He rises highest to meet it but can only direct his header wide!

37'

CHANCE! A corner pops up for Milivojevic to hit on the volley, and it's clearly blocked by the chest of Shelvey, despite appeals for handball.

35'

Zaha is fouled and Newcastle fans appear to feel that it's a soft one, but there's clearly contact. Zaha and Ritchie have a disagreement, but it's diffused - for now at least. The free-kick is whipped in dangerously at the near post, but Joselu heads behind.

34'

CHANCE! Side-netting for Atsu! He's played through by Shelvey and cuts inside Ward, but is just forced a little wide by Dann as he blasts his left-footed shot into the side-netting! Great effort from the winger.

33'

Ritchie tries to loft one towards Joselu in the box, but it's just a touch heavy and Speroni can gather.

29'

Lascelles was also booked for shoving Cabaye following the tackle. The Newcastle captain wasn't having any of that on his team-mate!

29'

van Aanholt is booked in the aftermath, presumably for his actions in the melee that ensued following Cabaye's challenge.

28'

Well! Cabaye gets away with a yellow here for a crazy, reckless challenge! He comes in from behind on Yedlin with a rash scissor kick, getting none of the ball! The referee takes his time, but eventually only issues a yellow, despite the roar of the crowd for a red.

27'

CHANCE! The ball falls to Ritchie on the edge of the box, but Sakho gets out to him quickly to block the ball out for a corner. He was aiming for the far corner there!

26'

Sakho kicks the ball straight out of play as he attempts to find Zaha with a long ball forward. He's a good defender but his ball playing has been questioned at times.

25'

Schlupp receives the ball on the left from Townsend and drives into the box. His shot is taken on the turn as he was being forced wide, however, and is dragged harmlessly away from goal.

24'

CHANCE! Zaha gets the ball on the left byline and fires a low cross through Yedlin's legs. However, it takes a little nick on the way through and Elliot is out to smother it.

23'

Shelvey and Sakho go in for a 50-50 challenge and Sakho comes off worse. Nothing given from the referee, however, despite the protests from the travelling Palace fans. It seemed like a genuine attempt to win the ball from both players.

21'

Townsend produces a nice bit of skill to get away from Lejeune, who trips him up as he breaks away down the right. He takes the resulting free-kick himself, but the delivery isn't the best.

20'

The pattern of the game is starting to settle down now. Palace are largely conceding possession and retreating into their own half, before looking to use the pace of Zaha and Townsend to break quickly.

17'

Zaha does really well to spin away from two on the halfway line and play the ball through for Townsend. He cuts inside and lays the ball off for Cabaye, whose shot is blocked away. Better from Palace though.

15'

Both Zaha and Townsend are often found drifting out to their more familiar wide positions, leaving a lack of options in the centre.

14'

Newcastle administer a high press which nearly catches Sakho out, but he manages to get the ball through to a team-mate.

13'

It's interesting that Hodgson has stuck with the veteran goalkeeper ahead of the fit-again Hennessey. He will have to hope that the goalkeeper vindicates the faith shown in him.

11'

Newcastle start to pile on the pressure, as Jonjo Shelvey fires a shot from the edge of the box into a wall of Palace players. Fairly low-key so far, though.

8'

Ritchie is released down the right with a long ball over the top, but van Aanholt gets there ahead of him and nods it back to Speroni.

6'

CHANCE! Ward is robbed in a dangerous situation by Atsu, but his cross is behind Joselu and Crystal Palace clear away. They try and break quickly through Zaha, but the move breaks down.

3'

Former Newcastle players Cabaye and Townsend receive a few boos from the home supporters early on, with the former leaving to PSG and the latter jumping ship once Newcastle were relegated.

2'

It looks as though, initially at least, Townsend is playing up alongside Zaha in a 4-4-2 formation, while McArthur is out on the right-hand side.

1'

And we're off! Newcastle get us underway.