IT was a win that should have sent Newcastle United into the summer on a high - a perfect springboard for the following campaign.

Instead came uncertainty and, if anything, the emphatic victory at Fulham on the final day of the 2018/19 season made what followed a month or so later even difficult for Geordies to come to terms with.

The 4-0 hammering of Scott Parker's already relegated side would prove to be Rafa Benitez's final game in charge of Newcastle.

Not that that was known at the time. The Spaniard was a month or so away from his contract at St James' Park expiring and had made it known what was required to get him to sign a new deal. Newcastle's fans had made their feelings known, they were desperate for Rafa to stay - and were as vocal as ever in their backing for the boss at Craven Cottage.

"Rafa must stay," read one sign, held aloft.

 "We meet hopefully this week and see where we are," said Benitez after the game, which had been watched by Mike Ashley and managing director Lee Charnley.

"We have plenty of time to enjoy, I have been very clear about the potential of this club."

After guiding the Magpies to promotion from the Championship in his first full campaign in charge, Benitez led Newcastle to a 10th-placed finish in their first season back in the Premier League. The aim the following year was to build on that but after a 10-game winless start, focus turned to survival. That was secured a few weeks before the final day trip to Fulham and although United would only end up 13th, they finished with one more point than they'd managed the previous season.

But Benitez didn't want to go on lingering in the bottom half and scrapping for survival. He wanted Newcastle to improve and compete and needed the backing to make that possible.

Amid the uncertainty, Newcastle finished the season with a flourish at Craven Cottage, where Eddie Howe's side head today looking for three crucial points in the battle for the European places.

Jonjo Shelvey set the Magpies on their way before Ayoze Perez grabbed his 13th of the season and 10th of the calendar year just two minutes later. Fabian Schar nodded in a third just after the hour mark before Man of the Match Salomon Rondon, whose future was also uncertain, wrapped up the scoring in the last minute.

Benitez said: "This group of players from beginning until the end have worked really hard. We never gave up, even when we were safe in the last three games they were still giving everything.

"We have one more point than last season but couldn't finish 10th so it proves this season has been more difficult than last season."

There wouldn't be a next season for Benitez.

Fulham 0-4 Newcastle - May 12, 2019.

Newcastle: Dubravka, Hayden (Fernandez, 69), Schar, Lascelles, Dummett (Kenedy, 81), Ritchie; Shelvey, Diame, Atsu (Muto, 66), Perez, Rondon

Subs not used: Clark, Darlow, Cass, Watts

Fulham: Rico, Christie (Babel, 65), Mawson, Le Marchand, Bryan, Chambers, Zambo Agnuissa, Ayite (Elliott, 74), Cairney, R.Sessegnon (Kebano, 81), Mitrovic

Subs not used: Ream, Fabri, De La Torre

Goals: Shelvey 9, Perez 11, Schar 61, Rondon 90

Referee: Kevin Friend

Attendance: 24,979