Half time: Hammers 0 Magpies 0

73 mins: Davor Suker's first touch was to lay a pass into the path of Frederic Kanoute, just inside our penalty area. It bypassed Robert Lee and Kanoute seized upon it before Aaron Hughes, to smash it into the small gap between keeper and post at the South end of the ground. 0-1

Full time: Hammers 1 Magpies 0

Bobby Robson who gave a fair impression of a man whose dog has run off its lead and won't come back, no matter how hard he shouts it:

"Andy (Griffin) finished battered and bruised but he hasn't played for a month and went into the game with little training. He's done very well for us but he knew we had nobody else. 

"My defence included Andy, who had not played for four weeks, and Robert Lee, who had never played in that position before.

"Rob probably thinks I've put another five years on his career. I knew we could play him there as long as Clarence Acuna had settled in and because of the system West Ham play, it was a good game to give him a taste of the sweeper's role. But it's not something I intend to pursue."

When asked about the performance of Stuart Pearce, Robson simply stated:

"I don't know why we gave him away."

Harry Redknapp, sporting a grin the size of the front at Sarffend, gushed: 

"We defended for our lives at the end and it was a great result. We've been playing very well in our matches but just haven't been able to score goals. You can't be angry with the players for the way they've been playing, but nobody has much fun when you're losing.

"It's pretty tough when you're a manager and your side is not winning games, and I freely admit that I'm not much fun to be around when it's like that. But to be honest, the way these boys have kept going has meant there has only been one occasion I have ever had to issue a half-time ticking off, and all we needed was a little bit of luck.

"You can never fault the way they played but you do begin to lose belief in yourselves when you don't get the run of games going for you. It was vital to have a win here at home and get ourselves on a role again, and the way they've gone about it has been fantastic.

"Life is all about confidence and you can see the way these boys play when they have it. I have some fantastic players here and hopefully now things will start to change for them."

Fresh from swearing at Garth Crooks on MoTD, Stuart Pearce also added his two pennorth:

"On another day Alan Shearer could have hit a hat-trick. Newcastle deserved a share of the spoils and Alan's performance proved he is still a magnificent player. He will always make chances and he will always make life difficult for defenders - people were telling me what a great game I'd had but, believe me, it could have been so different if the luck had gone Alan's way. 

"He is the most intelligent striker in the league because of the things he does to get into position and that is tough to counter."

Talking about Robert Lee, who played as a sweeper, he commented:

"He was fantastic. I had players coming up to me after the game and asking me what was going on. Marc Keller came into the dressing room and said that he didn't realise Rob could play like that. In terms of his cleverness and his reading of the game, he's on the same level as Alan Shearer.

"Bobby Robson asked Rob to play a role which required him to marshal the defence and build from the back. Critics complain that we haven't got that kind of player in England but I suggest somebody comes and has a look at Rob Lee. He won the ball time and time again, came out with confidence and never gave it away - what more can you ask for? '

'Bobby might have found the new Lothar Matthaus but Rob's a little bit quicker than Lothar ever was!"

Finally, when asked about his salute to the Newcastle fans, he said:

"I've had a great rapport with them for many years now, I've had contact with the club throughout my career - Newcastle came down for my testimonial at Nottingham Forest and I get on great with all the players. From my point of view, it's a pity that I had to leave when I did." 

Biffa