Fulham marked what might be Marco Silva’s last match in charge with a comfortable 2-0 home win over Newcastle United on the final day of the Premier League season.

Silva’s contract at Craven Cottage expires in the summer and media reports have suggested interest from rival clubs.

But that looming development was no distraction for Fulham on Sunday as they ended the season on a high thanks to Issa Diop’s first-half header and a stunning late Tom Cairney strike.

Newcastle’s hopes of European qualification ended earlier in the week, and they scarcely troubled Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno in a disappointing end to the campaign.

Fulham finish in 11th position on 52 points, three clear of 12th-placed Newcastle.

How the match unfolded

There was little goalmouth action before Diop’s 20th-minute opener when he was rewarded for reacting fastest to Kevin’s outstanding free-kick attempt, which bounced off the crossbar straight into the path of the unmarked centre-back, who nodded in.

Newcastle sought a response, with a last-gasp Timothy Castagne intervention required to clear a teasing cross from Joe Willock, who soon shot too close to Leno from a similar position. Between those attacks, Rodrigo Muniz twice failed to make the most of half-chances.

Harvey Barnes was introduced by Newcastle at the interval, but it was Cairney, a Fulham substitute, who looked most likely to add to the scoring with a pair of long-range efforts that fizzed past the upright.

And Newcastle did not heed that warning as the midfielder shaped a gorgeous left-footed effort into the top-left corner 10 minutes from time, with Harry Wilson getting the assist.

Fulham continued to push in the closing stages and ‘keeper Nick Pope palmed away Josh King’s deflected effort, then watched Wilson blast the rebound wide.