The clock read 22 minutes past four when it happened, when the “As it Stands” Premier League table showed that Newcastle had moved out of the relegation zone and above their northeast rivals. It was more than just a statistic that the city’s football club was now in a position of safety for the first time since early February.
It felt like much more; the restoration of faith, the fuel to fire hope, the moment the supporters of Newcastle United started believing.
It has been the buzzword on Tyneside all week. Believe. A run of four games without a defeat has done that. That Newcastle had not embarked on such a run since Alan Pardew was in charge in 2014, told you everything about the constant drip of failure on to the shoulders of a support that had buckled two weeks ago.
Then Newcastle played Swansea and won. Then they drew with Manchester City and Liverpool. Then yesterday, in possibly the biggest game since the club stared into the barrel of the old Third Division in 1992, when David Kelly scored a priceless goal against Portsmouth, they found something more.
Do not doubt for one minute the desire of Pardew to win despite the talk from the Sunderland manager Sam Allardyce that Crystal Palace’s players were mentally walking out at Wembley. “He hasn’t got a case,” said Pardew. “Just send him the video. They’re prehistoric comments. I don’t know what era he’s in.”
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Pardew even instructed his players to make Newcastle shoot downhill towards the Gallowgate End in the first half. It is local knowledge, about the head of steam the team can muster when they charge towards the former gallows of the city.
He did that, his side slowed the game down and for 45 minutes they worked tirelessly to end their own miserable run in 2016, a year in which they have forgotten how to win matches. When the dust settles on games of football, the headlines sometimes forget key moments, details that change the course of history.
Karl Darlow’s own unquestioned headline moment came in the 70th minute, but to get there, for all of it to mean anything, he had to produce two superb saves in the first half.
Afterwards, as Rafa Benitez once more effectively called for calm, with belief bulging in the veins of those from Tyneside, he made as much of the vital stops his goalkeeper made from Yohan Cabaye and then Yannick Bolasie as he did the crucial penalty save that he would produce.
Darlow was only called into the relegation battle when Rob Elliot did his cruciate playing for Ireland six games ago. Elliot himself was a stand-in for Tim Krul, who did the same, injuring his cruciate whilst playing for Holland.
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At that point, it felt like the footballing gods had turned on Newcastle.
But slowly, Benitez has inspired a turnaround that is beginning to rival that which he and Liverpool produced in Istanbul.
For by the time Mike Dean pointed at the penalty spot, in front of the same set of supporters at the Gallowgate End who had jeered former player Cabaye when he had taken a corner moments earlier, Newcastle had their lead.
Andros Townsend had won a free kick 25 yards from goal just before the hour mark and then curled a beautiful left-footed shot into the top corner of Wayne Hennessey’s goal.
By then, news had reached St James’ Park that Sunderland were losing at Stoke. The table changed. People stood and waved fists. Songs got louder.
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With 21 minutes remaining, Dean then blew against Moussa Sissoko for handball when the Newcastle captain challenged for a corner with Scott Dann. There was a feeling of disbelief but Cabaye, who was jeered far more than Pardew, struck his penalty to Darlow’s left. The keeper went with it and made a fine save. A stadium roared, the ball was hacked clear and it was Newcastle, rather than Palace, who looked the more likely scorer late in the game.
“It was a fantastic free-kick from Andros,” said Benitez. “We were practising different free-kicks, but not this one, so he did well. It is important for us and for the fans to be out of the bottom three.”
There is still drama to come in the fight to stay in the Premier League but Newcastle have momentum as they head to Villa Park.
Benitez mentioned it. Keith Millen, the Crystal Palace number two who faced the media at the request of Pardew, used the same word. Newcastle were refused more tickets for their game at Aston Villa next week, having sold their allocation of 3,000. More than 52,000 were inside St James’ Park yesterday. It is visual evidence of momentum.
“We still have to keep going and know we have to approach the game against Aston Villa like a cup final,” said Benitez.
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“Momentum is important. We have won against Swansea and drew two tough games against City and Liverpool. Now we have another three points and the players have confidence, that is the key. The fans understand that being behind the team is the key. We have to win the next game and after we’ll think about the last game.” The northeast can think of nothing but.
Star man: Jamal Lascelles (Newcastle)
Newcastle United: Darlow 8, Anita 8 (Shelvey 88min, 3), Mbemba 7, Lascelles 8, Dummett 8, Tiote 7, Townsend 7, Sissoko 6, Colback 7, Wijnaldum 7 (Perez 81min, 4), Cisse 6 (Mitrovic 72min, 4)
Crystal Palace: Hennessey 6, Ward 6, Dann 6, Delaney 7, Souare 6, Cabaye 6, Jedanik 7, Puncheon 5 (Gayle 74min, 4), McArthur 6 (Sako 61min, 5), Bolasie 5, Wickham 6 (Adebayor 74min, 3)