Beye targets lucky seven

Newcastle defender Habib Beye is targeting a return of seven points from the last three games to keep the club in the Barclays Premier League. Two wins and a draw looks a tall order for a side which has managed only six league victories all season, but there is little doubt only a first three-point haul at St James' Park since December 21 is a must against derby rivals Middlesbrough on Monday night if they are to avoid the drop. Senegal international defender Beye said: "We know what we need to do. I think we need to get seven points to stay in the Premier League. We can't afford to lose any more - we just need three points on Monday." Fulham visit Tyneside next weekend for another potentially make-or-break encounter before the curtain falls on a disastrous campaign at Aston Villa. The Magpies have tasted victory only once in their last 17 league games, but they know they have now reached the point of no return. Once again, a club with an astonishing talent for attracting bad publicity has found itself engulfed in controversy in the wake of Joey Barton's sending off at Liverpool last Sunday. The 26-year-old collected a three-match ban for his pains after scything through Xabi Alonso, but has since been banned from the training ground after a stand-up row with boss Alan Shearer in the dressing room afterwards. Beye added: "He [Shearer] said the game is gone, we can't do anything about it. "We need to focus on the game against Boro. It will be the most important game for everybody in their lives. "We have three games left now, and I think everybody knows what we need to stay in the Premier League."

Source: Eurosport