It certainly didn’t seem like the archetypal performance from our Magpies as we contrived, with our opponents, to bore spectators rigid for an entire match before springing into life right at the end and snatching three points. The Entertainers this was not, thankfully, because I doubt they would have won this game. Sam Allardyce is reinventing the wheel here at Newcastle and I know a lot of us aren’t overly enamoured with what he and the lads have been doing so far, but results like this speak for themselves.

If you aren’t happy with watching a poor game of football which ends with your beloved team taking all three points and keeping a clean sheet, then please keep your trap shut and let the rest of us revel in it. Do you think those lads and lasses who heartily backed the team for the entire game would have minded one jot? That long journey back North would feel sweeter with a 0-1 victory and a performance like that than it would have done had we gone down all guns blazing, 4-3. Remember that? It wasn’t as fun for me as it was for the neutral (and Sky TV), to be honest. I’d have took a 0-1 there any day of the week.

We currently sit a mere 5 points behind Liverpool (who are in 5th place) and our next two games see us welcome Derby to Gallowgate and then travel to Titus Bramble’s new circus show at the JJB Stadium. Obviously, Chelsea (a) comes after that, but let’s not dampen the mood too much! What we saw here was a thoroughly professional and committed performance from a manager, team and formation lacking spark and creativity – but I’m still hoping that’s going to come later.

We have to get the basics right first – which we are starting to do more and more as time goes by – and then build from there. People claim Allardyce “doesn’t do” decent football, but if you saw Bolton much in his last few seasons there then you’d be hard-pressed to admit that they didn’t play some exciting stuff (at times). Of course we’ll never be Arsenal under his leadership, but we should be a damn sight better than we’ve been since 2003/04, and I’m personally happy enough with that.

The first half was as dull as ditchwater with neither side looking too threatening up front.
The second half was only a little better, and as the game went on, a goalless draw looked to be a nailed on certainty.

There was no question over the injury time penalty which gave us the three points, but really the game should have been the nil all draw it looked like it was going to be.

I am so relieved after that victory. It was a long time coming, and maybe we didn’t deserve it, but as people say this is a results business and boy was that a result!

It was clear in the second half that Allardyce had set out for a draw, and this was slightly frustrating as many, including I, thought we were past that sort of football. However, sometimes it is a case of going for the draw, and in doing that we were able to come away with a clean sheet; the first away from home in over 13 months with the last one coming in a 0-0 draw at the COMS against Manchester City.

And it was the former Man City boy Joey Barton who gave United the 3 points against the Cottagers. There can be disputes over the decision, but I believe that the collision was more of a penalty than that awarded in favour of Martins against Birmingham City last week.

Anyway, it was given and Barton looked cool in getting his first for the club. I’m glad he was cool because I was pacing my living room floor with worry and suspense; the Newcastle of 12 months ago would never have come away with victory.

Onto the defence: Considering it was his first game back since the Pompey horror show, Cacapa was IMMENSE. He looked so cool and composed on the ball, and his performance was one which we all know he is capable of. Habib Beye is in a class of his own. Again brilliant against Fulham, and he looks to be commanding that right hand flank really well, especially when Martins goes walkabouts in the centre, leaving him exposed on that side.

The midfield/attack were quite bad creative-wise in the game however. Geremi had one of his worst games for the club, Butt was a bit of a no-show and Martins was quite bad as well. They really need to improve or our game will get more and more boring.

It should have been better, but we won and got a clean sheet, and that is what is important.