NEWCASTLE 2 WEST HAM 0

DISASTER averted; survival secured. On an afternoon when the threat of relegation to the Championship was a constant presence, Newcastle successfully claimed the victory that guaranteed their place in the Premier League next season.

Never mind that Hull City’s failure to beat Manchester United meant that whatever the Magpies did in their own final game was ultimately irrelevant, a season that has plumbed some staggering depths ultimately finished on a glorious high.

Not so much because Newcastle’s players finally rediscovered their self-respect and professionalism and produced a performance befitting the seriousness of the situation in which they found themselves, but more because Jonas Gutierrez delivered a timely reminder that sometimes there are more important things than the fate of a football club.

It might not have felt like that to the 1,000-or-so supporters who remained behind after the final whistle to protest about Mike Ashley’s continued stewardship of the Magpies – something that the owner confirmed in a rare pre-match interview is not about to end any time soon – but for Gutierrez, whose appearance yesterday is almost certain to be his last in a Newcastle shirt, perspective is not hard to attain.

This time last year, the Argentinian was back in his homeland battling against the ravages of testicular cancer. Last November, he was discharged from hospital and given the all-clear, and while his path back to the Newcastle team has not always been a smooth one, he has remained resolute in his determination to give his all for the black-and-white cause. If only some of his team-mates had displayed similar commitment and resolve.

Leading through Moussa Sissoko’s headed opener at the start of the second half, the Magpies were still in a state of some danger when Gutierrez picked up the ball close to the left-hand touchline in the 85th minute.

His shot might have taken a deflection as it evaded Adrian in the West Ham goal, but it still sparked a delirious response from Gutierrez and his team-mates as they cavorted on the touchline with members of Newcastle’s backroom staff. There might not have been a Spiderman mask as he ripped his black-and-white shirt from his chest, but with the Magpies’ survival hanging in the balance, the 31-year-old, who was magnificent throughout, had produced a super-human response.

To be fair to the majority of his team-mates, they too had finally roused themselves when the situation demanded it most.

After weeks of lacking the drive, commitment and talent required to end a ten-match losing run, Newcastle’s players finally rediscovered their unity and fight. From the returning Mike Williamson, who put any lingering resentment at John Carver’s post-match comments at Leicester behind him to produce a near-flawless defensive display, to the much-maligned Vurnon Anita, whose midfield industry was a key part of Newcastle’s victory, those who had struggled so badly in recent weeks came good when the stakes were at their highest.

West Ham were pliant opponents, seemingly determined to ensure Sam Allardyce’s Upton Park reign ended on a fittingly depressing note, but Newcastle’s players still deserve credit for triumphing so convincingly.

That said, it would be wrong to paint yesterday’s success as anything other than a rare bright spot at the end of an otherwise horrendous campaign.

When Newcastle were relegated in 2009, it felt as though the demotion was the culmination of a succession of poor decisions rather than anything more fundamental. Ashley had made mistakes – catastrophic ones when it came to the unfathomable appointment of Joe Kinnear – but once promotion was achieved 12 months later, it was logical to assume that the same errors would not be repeated in the future.

Six years on, and even though a return to the Championship has been avoided, the problems are so systemic that it is impossible to see how things will improve for as long as Ashley and his cohorts remain in charge. Every element of the club appears to be damaged beyond the point of repair.

A manager? There isn’t one, and if it isn’t to be Carver on a permanent basis this summer, it will be someone else who is willing to do as they are told. The players? A combination of the unwanted, the unmotivated and those who have consistently proved they are not good enough to be wearing the black-and-white shirt. The owner? An absentee landlord, determined to squeeze every last penny out of a plaything that has long since lost its appeal.

Little wonder, then, that the mood in the stands has long since shifted from anger to apathy. Or that a club that used to pride itself on being ‘everyone’s second favourite team’ found itself in the unenviable position yesterday of being the team that every neutral wanted to see relegated.

Repairing all of that feels like an impossible task at the moment, and for all that Ashley has pledged to make a meaningful investment ahead of next season, actions speak louder than words and on far too many occasions, the owner has been found wanting on that score. Still, it is far easier to rebuild in the Premier League than the Championship.

In truth, for all that the margins remained slight throughout yesterday’s decider, it rarely felt as though Newcastle were in grave danger of suffering the defeat that could have been terminal to their survival hopes.

Crucially, they began on the front foot, and while Emmanuel Riviere scuffed a shot wide in the opening minute, at least a positive tone had been established.

There was a brief scare when Stewart Downing burst clear midway through the first half, only to see his shot saved by Tim Krul, but after Riviere somehow spurned a glorious opportunity by failing to make contact with Daryl Janmaat’s cross at the start of the second half, the deadlock was broken by Sissoko.

Gutierrez delivered an inviting cross from the left-hand side, and Sissoko out-jumped his marker to plant home a header from eight yards.

Suddenly, the mood within St James’ was transformed to one of euphoria, and while Anita somehow made a hash of a three-on-none break in the final ten minutes, the stage was set for Gutierrez.

Cutting in from the left-hand side, the winger drilled a deflected strike past Adrian. The season did not really deserve a glorious climax, but it had received one nonetheless.