NEWCASTLE, England -- Newcastle ended a disastrous run of eight straight Premier League defeats with a 1-1 draw against West Bromwich Albion on Saturday.
The Magpies went behind to a 32nd minute header by Victor Anichebe before Ayoze Perez equalized four minutes before the break at St James' Park.
It was Newcastle's first league point since February.
Newcastle dropped to 17th, right above the relegation zone with 36 points and two games left. Hull at 18th is two points behind Newcastle.
The hosts briefly slipped into the bottom three when Anichebe headed home Craig Gardner's free kick, but Perez leveled in the 41st with a sweetly-struck shot to hand head coach John Carver a little respite.
However, the home fans among a crowd of 47,894 left the stadium knowing there is still work to be done if the team is to avoid the drop with a trip to QPR next weekend and a final-day clash with West Ham on Tyneside to come.
STOKE 3, TOTTENHAM 0
STOKE, England -- Tottenham's slim chances of securing a Champions League spot ended Saturday with a 3-0 loss at Stoke in the Premier League, continuing a late-season slump for the visitors.
Charlie Adam and Steven Nzonzi gave Stoke a 2-0 lead by halftime and Tottenham's day got worse when Vlad Chiriches was sent off for a second booking in the 51st.
Mame Biram Diouf scored the third by turning in a cross from Marko Arnautovic, who caused problems for the visitors throughout.
Tottenham only has two wins in its last eight games, a run that has seen it fall out of contention for a top-four finish. It remains a point ahead of Southampton in the last Europa League spot in sixth place.
Stoke is ninth, with little to play for in the final two rounds.
ASTON VILLA 1, WEST HAM 0
BIRMINGHAM, England -- Tom Cleverley scored for the third straight game to earn Aston Villa a 1-0 win over West Ham that pushed his team further away from the Premier League's relegation zone on Saturday.
The on-loan Manchester United midfielder tapped in from close range after a pass from young playmaker Jack Grealish in the 31st minute. He also scored against Manchester City and Everton, having previously not found the net in 37 games.
Villa is four points clear of the bottom three with two matches remaining, having won three of its last four league games under new manager Tim Sherwood. The team has also reached the FA Cup final against Arsenal.
West Ham, whose season has tailed off after a strong start, had a goal by Enner Valencia ruled out for offside.
