Steve Bruce eyeing "smashing end" to difficult Newcastle season

<div class="pa_art"><p>Steve Bruce has warned Newcastle not to be caught by a sucker punch as they attempt to end a difficult season with a fifth victory inside their final eight Premier League games.</p><p>A dismal run which saw the Magpies win only twice in 19 outings plunged them into the thick of the fight for top-flight survival. However, a return of 13 points from the last 21 they have contested sends them to relegated Fulham for what at one stage looked likely to be a relegation showdown in some comfort.</p><p>Indeed, a second successive victory at Craven Cottage would see Newcastle equal the 45-point total they managed two seasons ago, their best in the Premier League since they returned from a brief exile at the end of the 2016-17 . . .