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Swansea City's Wilifred Bony celebrates scoring his sides first goal of the game. Steve Drew
bony baby

Gloom on the Toon after late Swansea winner, Cardiff caught in relegation mire

Newcastle are marooned in mid-table but a whole lot safer than Aston Villa and Cardiff City.

Newcastle 1-2 Swansea

A DOUBLE BY leading scorer Wilfried Bony gave Swansea an invaluable win in their battle against relegation as they beat out of form Newcastle 2-1 for their first away win since November.

The 25-year-old Ivory Coast international scored at the end of each half — the second from the penalty spot for his 14th league goal of the season — to take them six points clear of the bottom three with three games remaining and a vastly superior goal difference to boot.

Defeat for Newcastle was their fifth successive one in the league — Shola Ameobi’s 23rd minute goal their first in those five games — and leaves manager Alan Pardew’s position under some threat. Marvin Emnes was felled in the Toon box by Chieck Tiote and Bony stepped up to ease the Welsh side’s relegations fears.

Cardiff 1-1 Stoke

Soccer - Barclays Premier League - Cardiff City v Stoke City - Cardiff City Stadium Andrew Matthews Andrew Matthews

Cardiff remain deep in relegation trouble despite Peter Whittingham’s penalty equaliser in Saturday’s 1-1 Premier League draw against Stoke.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team fell behind in controversial circumstances at the Cardiff City Stadium when referee Howard Webb gave Stoke a dubious penalty which Austrian striker Marko Arnautovic converted.

The Bluebirds drew level with a penalty of their own in the second half as Whittingham fired home from the spot. But Cardiff couldn’t find a winner leaving them third from bottom and two points from safety with only three games remaining.

Aston Villa 0-0 Southampton

Soccer - Barclays Premier League - Aston Villa v Southampton - Villa Park Villa coach Shay Given hands out the bibs at Villa Park. PA Wire / Press Association Images PA Wire / Press Association Images / Press Association Images

Over at Villa Park, Aston Villa played out a 0-0 draw with a Southampton team coasting towards their summer holidays and, for some young stars, a trip to Brazil for the World Cup.

A Rickie Lambert header and a Steven Davis shot was the best the visitors could muster in the first half while Villa failed to have a shot on target in the opening 45. Adam Lallana scuffed a shot with just Brad Guzan to beat and Marc Albrighton drew two rapid-fire saves out of Artur Boruc in the Saints goal. The last action of note saw Lallana score but his effort was ruled out for offside.

© AFP, 2014

– Additional reporting by Pat McCarry

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