Sheffield United became the first team relegated from the Premier League this season after surrendering an early lead to suffer a 5-1 drubbing at Newcastle United on Saturday.
Anel Ahmedhodzic’s fifth-minute opener at St James’ Park gave the struggling Blades hope of an upset.
But Alexander Isak’s second-half double, plus goals from Bruno Guimaraes and Callum Wilson either side of a Ben Osborn own goal, inflicted a 25th defeat of a bleak season on Chris Wilders' side to boost the Magpies’ hopes of European qualification.
Wilder expressed his desire to stay on and mount another challenge for promotion.
He said: "It stings and it hurts. We have to own it. We have got so much work to do on the training ground. We have got to have a proper pre-season.
"Sheffield United is a really good football club. I think everyone understands that but it's been a really poor season.
"I've still got another year left of my contract. I'd like to think that the supporters can trust me. I'm enthusiastic and committed along with my coaching staff to get it right. We know exactly what direction we need to go, what the culture is going to look like, what pre-season is going to look like.
"It's going to be a tough summer for everybody."
Elsewhere, Manchester United’s mediocre campaign continued after Zeki Amdouni’s late penalty earned Burnley a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford.
Erik ten Hag’s side looked to have scraped an uninspiring victory when Antony notched his first Premier League goal of the season in the 79th minute.
But Amdouni converted from 12 yards after being knocked over by goalkeeper Andre Onana to leave sixth-placed United only a point above Newcastle in the battle for Europe.
Ten Hag told the BBC: "We put ourselves in a winning position and over long courses of the game we dominated. Only the second part of the first half where we conceded some chances, but the rest of the game was ours. We were in a winning position and we gave it away.
"It is not easy to get fourth when you're so far behind. We needed to win. The past few weeks we've got in winning positions and then given it away. The gap is too big in this phase of the season."
The result moved Burnley two points from safety, while fellow strugglers Luton remain a point behind 17th-placed Nottingham Forest following a 2-1 defeat at Wolves. Forest host Manchester City on Sunday.
Goals in either half from Hwang Hee-chan and Toti Gomes put the hosts in control before Carlton Morris’ 10th goal of the campaign set up a tense finish.
Luton manager Rob Edwards insisted he still believes they can stay up.
He said: "It's frustrating how we conceded the two goals but I have got pride in how we kept going until the very end. After a difficult week last week it's good to see that.
"That's the stuff we can hang on to going into the final three games. Points-wise we are on a difficult run but we're still in this. We still fully believe.
"We showed character and spirit, we could have conceded more but we rode it. We are frustrated not to take anything from the game, I don't think there was much in it today."
Meanwhile, at Craven Cottage, Jeffrey Schlupp scored a late equaliser as in-form Crystal Palace grabbed a 1-1 draw against London rivals Fulham.
Substitute Schlupp struck three minutes from time to cancel out Rodrigo Muniz’s 52nd-minute opener and maintain Palace’s good form under Oliver Glasner.
