Souness: I'll keep going

Newcastle boss Graeme Souness vowed to “keep going” after today’s 1-0 Premiership defeat by Fulham saw two more players added to the club’s crippling injury list.

Titus Bramble failed a fitness test on the ankle injury problem he sustained on Thursday while Stephen Carr was substituted at half time because of stomach pain, completing a miserable afternoon for Souness.

“Titus went over on his ankle in training. We thought hed be okay for today but this morning it was clear he wasn’t,” he said.

“Stephen was excellent in the first half but he’s had a hernia operation recently and his stomach was giving him problems, which is worrying.”

Michael Owen, Scott Parker, Emre Kieron Dyer, Craig Moore, Shola Ameobi and Steven Taylor are already in the St James’ Park treatment room and Souness said: “That’s life.

“I chose to be in this job and things don’t always go your way. But I’ll keep going. As a manager you have to be optimistic and think things are going to get better.”

The match looked destined for a goalless draw with both sides missing chances but French substitute Steed Malbranque pounced in the 75th minute to snatch victory.

“We scrapped in the first half and found another gear in the second. We feel hard done by. We had Fulham under pressure and enjoyed some good possession,” said Souness.

“We committed people forward and had a good shout for a penalty – their defender Ian Pearce admitted to some of my players he’d handled the ball.

“With the players available I felt we gave a good account of ourselves.”

Fulham boss Chris Coleman felt his side were worthy winners and saluted midfielder Malbranque who marked his comeback from a thigh injury in fine style.

“This was a massive result for us. Both teams are crippled with injuries so we knew this was never going to be easy,” he said.

“I thought we dominated the opening 45 minutes and were unlucky to enter half-time level.

“They came at us immediately after the break and huffed an puffed at the end.

“But we held strong and it was a game where I always thought one goal would win it.

“If Malbranque had been 100% fit then he would have started the gae, but he wasn’t quite right so he started on the bench. But we got the three points and that’s all that matters.”

Antti Niemi made his Fulham debut after completing a £1million switch from Southampton earlier in the week and Coleman was impressed by his display.

“Niemi looked good. He was assured and made the right decisions. He got some punches in and has a calming effect on the defence,” he said.

But Coleman was furious a heavy challenge from Celestine Babayaro on Tomasz Radzinski went unpunished by referee Alan Wiley.

“It was a bad tackle. Anyone who thinks Tomasz dived should take a look at the four stud marks on his shin. It went unpunished as well,” he said.