Carlos Cuellar competes with Mark Viduka

One cheer from the Villa Park crowd rang out above all others yesterday as the curtain came down on a satisfying season which ultimately failed to fulfil its promise.

See also: Villa condemn Newcastle to drop

While there was a rousing reception for retired skipper Martin Laursen on his farewell to B6, it was not for him.

It was not for Holte End hero John Carew either, nor boss Martin O’Neill, the man who has turned around the club’s fortunes.

And it certainly wasn’t for any of the spineless Newcastle players relegated by this defeat who forgot the ‘Survival Sunday’ script should at least include some grit and guts.

No, it was for the best footballer on the field.

The man whose actions this summer will be more crucial to the club’s evolution than any new recruit.

“There’s only one Gareth Barry!” roared the Holte End. And don’t we all know it.

Barry again showed why he is virtually irreplaceable to Villa – only Champions League football would have opened the door to players of his calibre – providing valuable protection to his defence and orchestrating proceedings going forward.

The fact O’Neill is prepared to risk him walking away for nothing next summer just to have him in his side for another season says it all.

This emotional plea from the claret and blue faithful is sure to have pulled on the heart-strings of a player who has given 12 years of silver service to the club.

Furthermore, it was another demonstration of how the wounds of last summer have healed.

Should Liverpool come in with the money this summer – Êand that is not for certain by any means – then Barry will this time go with the blessing of O’Neill and the fans.

But there will be a nagging frustration among all parties that this was a real chance missed to make Barry’s decision a simple one by giving him the Champions League football he so craves.

From elation at the Emirates Stadium and glory at Goodison Park to anguish at Anfield and that season-shifting surrender against Stoke, this gruelling campaign has been a rollercoaster ride of emotions.

It is sure to have split support.

Those in approval will speak of Villa gaining automatic entry to Europe for the first time in 11 years and beating last season’s points total.

They will fondly remember a season which saw their team match the big four heavyweights blow-for-blow until hitting the canvas in March.

Records which stood for over a century have been shattered, their run of seven straight league away victories beating the six achieved 112 years ago.

And all of this achieved with the smallest squad in the Premier League.

The dissenters, on the other hand, will point to O’Neill’s controversial decision to leave his stars at home in Moscow, sacrificing the UEFA Cup and denying them a shot at the silverware they long for.

They will point to a disastrous conclusion to the campaign of just two wins from the last 16 games.

And they will question whether over £50m worth of investment has been justified by another sixth-placed finish which came armed with a two-point advance on last season.

But before anyone feels too sorry for themselves they need only look at the plight of yesterday’s opponents, who have paid the price for horrendous management off the field and pitiful performances off it.

Villa can be accused of neither of those.

And they kicked off in typically cavalier fashion.

Within two minutes they should have been ahead, John Carew’s clever reverse pass setting Barry free down the left but his cross was headed just over by Gabby Agbonlahor.

Fortunate

Newcastle enjoyed their best spell of the game soon afterwards, though, and O’Neill’s men could twice count themselves fortunate when Brad Friedel spilled Damien Duff’s shot and then Carlos Cuellar superbly cleared a Stephen Taylor effort off the line.

But the game soon swung back in Villa’s favour and it took a brilliant save from Steve Harper on 20 to tip over a piledriver from makeshift right-back Craig Gardner, who came in at the expense of Emile Heskey. Ê

Newcastle’s desperation for a goal – even a win would not guarantee their safety – left them open at the back and there was a real cup-tie feel to the game as both sides attacked with menace but defensively looked vulnerable.

A goal inevitably arrived and, much to the joy of three quarters of the stadium, it was for Villa.

Barry’s 30-yard shot was heading as close to the corner flag as the right corner – until it took a massive deflection off Damien Duff and flew inside the opposite post.

It was a tough luck on the Magpies in such a vital game and Barry’s muted celebrations suggested likewise.

Just moments later it could so easily have been two when Carew’s cross was diverted agonisingly wide by Agbonlahor.

For a side fighting to preserve a 16-year existence in the top flight, you would expect Friedel to have been tested a couple of times at the very least.

But the veteran stopper had barely a thing to do in the second half as Villa piled on the pressure.

Ashley Young curled a shot just beyond the right post and ex-Magpie James Milner, who kept a dignified silence before and after the game, saw a low drive flash narrowly wide.

Newcastle threw on Michael Owen with 25 to go in one final throw of the dice but the struggling striker made no impression.

Barry could have hammered the final nail in the coffin five minutes later when he pounced on Butt’s stray backpass only to fire agonisingly wide, while Carew fluffed his lines with the goal at his mercy after good work from Agbonlahor.

Only a hopeful Jose Enrique cross caused any sort of panic in a Villa defence which looked assured from start to finish.

Everton’s victory over Fulham to clinch fifth marred an otherwise enjoyable end to the season for those of a claret and blue persuasion.

But it was nothing compared to the disappointment of the travelling Toon Army.