Stewart Downing: 'We must finish strongly'

Stewart Downing has insisted that West Ham United must finish the Premier League season strongly and aim for a top-10 finish.

The Hammers face Newcastle United tomorrow afternoon in their final game, and must better Everton's result against Tottenham Hotspur to finish in the top half.

A victory or draw for West Ham could also send Newcastle down, if Hull City are victorious over Manchester United, and Downing told Sky Sports News that his side will strive for all three points.

He said: "We need to get a good result against Newcastle. Obviously, they're fighting for their lives and it'll be a tough game for us.

"But as the manager stresses, we need to finish well and let everyone know that we're still fighting to get in the top ten, which was the aim at the start of the season."

West Ham manager Sam Allardyce will learn his fate on Monday, and is heavily expected to leave the club.