A crowd of just 20,577 - the lowest for a competitive match at St James' Park since the capacity was increased to in excess of 52,000 - watched the team slip out of the Carling Cup as holders Tottenham eased their way to a 2-1 victory.

Whereas thousands had vented their anger at owner Mike Ashley following manager Kevin Keegan's departure before and after the 2-1 Barclays Premier League defeat by Hull in the last home fixture, the stands were sparsely populated as many supporters decided to watch on television instead.

By the time Michael Owen scored a 90th-minute consolation after goals from Roman Pavlyuchenko and Jamie O'Hara, there were significantly fewer than 20,577 people inside the stadium.

The final whistle was greeted by the inevitable chorus of boos, perhaps the first time the lack of bodies would have been welcome for the home players as they trudged back to the dressing room.

Newcastle can expect a significantly higher attendance on Saturday when Blackburn head for Tyneside looking to extend the Magpies' losing run, although the chances of a sell-out look remote.

That will be further bad news for Ashley as investment bank Seymour Pierce attempt to find a buyer for a club whose value seems to plummet by the day.