FOOTBALL'S a funny old game, they say - well, it certainly was on Saturday.

While on the face of it defeat and being knocked out of the FA Cup is not a reason for amusement, the manner in which Saints departed the famous old competition produced two reactions.

The first was pride for the performance the side put in. They can rightly hold their heads high after this effort.

The other was some form of reluctant laughter.

Of course, what brought that about was the final ten minutes.

The sad sight of seeing Bartosz Bialkowski being stretchered off, and with Saints having used all three subs, led to a moment that few will forget.

On the pitch the players looked round to find a volunteer to don the gloves and finish off the tie in-between the sticks.

The man who held his hand up was striker Dexter Blackstock, who had only been on the pitch for two minutes.

What followed was the most kamikaze display of goalkeeping imaginable - but no further goals conceded.

While Saints couldn't get back into the game due to their problems, they had done so well.

Newcastle are a good team, on a high, with plenty of players back from injury and knowing the FA Cup is their only chance of success this season.

In short they were an in-form Premiership team, hungry, with a point to prove and up for it.

Saints, on the other hand, have played better of late but haven't exactly got the results to show for it.

They were injury ravaged and had three of their starting XI cup tied. And they were playing away from home.

Anybody who has followed Saints for a while knows that they have taken a few hammerings off of Newcastle in the league at St James' Park.

And so if it is difficult to go there as a Premiership side, that puts into context just how well they did going there as a Championship side.

George Burley is really starting to work his magic on the team and there are the makings of a decent side for next season there - if the loan players sign permanently and a few more are added of course.

Though the season may now have fizzled out a little - no further cup competitions and the league just a stroll to pick up two more wins to ensure safety - there is at least reason for optimism over the summer.

As hard as Saints worked, as compact as they were, as much as they got behind the ball, kept their shape and denied Newcastle room to play, they also passed the ball.

They played well and created chances and could have been ahead before Newcastle scored the winner.

In the first half the Magpies created a few good openings.

Bialkowski saved at his near post from Nobby Solano, Shola Ameobi hit the outside of the post and forced the Saints keeper into a good save, while Jean Alain Boumsong's header from a corner hit the inside of the post and landed in Bialkowski's arms.

That was half-time and at that stage you just wondered whether it might be Saints' day.

They had had a little bit of luck to keep their goal intact but they had also looked like they could nick a goal.

In the second half and with two changes Saints changed their shape slightly and it created a more open game - which surprisingly seemed to suit Saints more than Newcastle.

Kenwyne Jones and Peter Madsen battled away heroically up front but both missed a chance to give Saints the lead.

On 54 minutes Jones and Madsen linked up well and the former had time to take a touch and fire goalwards. His effort from 12 yards was well hit but at a nice height for Shay Given who turned it over.

Just two minutes later Alexander Ostlund cut the ball back from the by-line to Madsen, who took a touch and unleashed a fierce strike but it clipped the top of the bar and went over.

Sadly for Saints, Newcastle scored what proved to be the winner on 68 minutes when Kieron Dyer produced a cool finish after being played through on goal by Charles N'Zogbia.

Any chance of a revival was effectively ended when Blackstock ended up in goal, or the middle of his half as he sometimes seemed to be, in his heroic yet comical goalkeeping fashion.

Still, football is all about fun and, while there is not much fun in losing, sometimes you can still take a lot from a game.

And Saints will certainly do that after this performance.