Going into the final 90 minutes of the season, any one of Norwich City, Southampton, Crystal Palace or West Bromwich Albion could have preserved their highly- prized, financiallylucrative, top-flight status, and at some stage during the afternoon they all tasted safety.
3.00pm: The action begins with Albion needing a win and help from elsewhere to survive.
Norwich
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Southampton
Crystal Palace
West Brom
3.10pm: At Craven Cottage, despite a bright start from Norwich, the Canaries go 1-0 down as a Fulham counter-attack sees Brian McBride score.
Norwich
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Southampton
Crystal Palace
West Brom
3.11pm: Within seconds at the St Mary?s Stadium, a blunder by Manchester United goalkeeper Roy Carroll bounces off the knee of John O?Shea from just three yards out. At this stage, with the Saints 1-0 up, they are safe.
Southampton
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Norwich
Crystal Palace
West Brom
3.20pm: The joy of the Southampton fans is short-lived as Darren Fletcher heads home the equaliser from a perfect John O?Shea cross from the left wing. Harry Redknapp?s side are still out of the bottom three ? albeit just one goal better off than Palace.
Southampton
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Norwich
Crystal Palace
West Brom
3.32pm: Palace?s hopes nosedive with Charlton conjuring an incisive move that ends with Bryan Hughes steering the ball home from 12 yards to put the Addicks 1-0 in front.
Southampton
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Norwich
Crystal Palace
West Brom
3.35pm: Nigel Worthington?s side are staring at a return to the Coca-Cola Championship as Papa Bouba Diop beats Green with a curling 26-yard free-kick into the top right-hand corner to make it 2-0 Fulham.
Southampton
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Norwich
Crystal Palace
West Brom
3.50pm: With the first halves over in all the games, the scenario at the midway point sees Southampton out of the bottom three.
4.13pm: Norwich?s misery continues as Fulham make it 3-0 with Zat Knight rifling home a 14-yard half-volley beyond Green.
Southampton
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Norwich
Crystal Palace
West Brom
4.18pm: Palace give themselves a lifeline with Dougie Freedman scoring an equaliser at The Valley with a delightfully-executed lob.
Southampton
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Crystal Palace
Norwich
West Brom
4.19pm: At The Hawthorns, with all the other results going their way, West Brom are out of the bottom three when Geoff Horsfield drives home the opener against Portsmouth.
West Brom
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Southampton
Crystal Palace
Norwich
4.20pm: Southampton?s despair is suddenly exacerbated when Ruud van Nistelrooy makes the most of Alan Smith?s hard work to gave United a 2-1 advantage.
West Brom
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Crystal Palace
Norwich
Southampton
4.30pm: Andy Johnson steps up and coolly sends Dean Kiely the wrong way from the penalty spot. Palace now lead 2-1 and are just 20 minutes away from safety.
Crystal Palace
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West Brom
Norwich
Southampton
4.31pm: Steed Malbranque rubs salt into Norwich?s gaping wounds with a fourth for the Cottagers.
Crystal Palace
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West Brom
Norwich
Southampton
4.35pm: Kieran Richardson gives the Baggies a two-goal cushion with a fine strike from 14 yards, but their fate now rests on Charlton.
Crystal Palace
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West Brom
Norwich
Southampton
4.42pm: Alan Curbishley?s side duly oblige. Fortune atones for his earlier indiscretion by powering home a header from close range for a 2-2 scoreline, and now it is Albion again safe.
West Brom
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Crystal Palace
Norwich
Southampton
4.44pm: McBride makes it 5-0 for Fulham as Norwich exit the Premiership on the back of a hammering.
4.49pm: Andy Cole adds a sixth for Chris Coleman?s on-song side.
4.52pm: Norwich are down after a 6-0 hiding, but Delia Smith still wears a brave smile.
4.52pm: The Saints join the Canaries in the Championship as the final whistle blows on their 2-1 defeat.
4.53pm: Albion secure a 2-0 victory, and now all ears and eyes turn to The Valley.
4.53pm: Moments later, it is all over and Albion survive as Palace can manage nothing more than a 2-2 draw to seal their relegation place.
West Brom 34pt: -26 GD
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Crystal Palace 33: -21
Norwich 33: -35
Southampton 32: -21
