Alan Pardew said:

"It’s an unexpected two points. If I’m honest, I was gutted last week that we didn’t get the three at Sunderland, because I felt we deserved it.

"We didn’t deserve the three points (today), but we got them. Sometimes a bit of honesty, and a bit of hard work, gives you the chance to be in the game. We were still in the game.

"(The crowd) knew we were struggling, and they tried to keep us going. Any kind of flash or moment from us, they were greeting like it was a European night.

"This Thursday-Sunday’s tough on us – we haven’t got the hang of it. I make no bones about that. We’re struggling for training time on the pitch. It looked like we had no rhythm.

“Last year we looked like a rhythmic team – keeping the ball well and moving teams around – and at the minute we’re just hanging in there.

"You've got to feel for West Brom today because they have played well. I thought first half we just shaded it and second half we lost our way a little bit.

"But our work rate was great and in the end we got a break. To be honest we haven't had too many breaks this season so we'll grab that with both hands.

"We've won the game and we'll take that...we perhaps deserved to win at Sunderland, and today we've got a goal in a game we did not deserve to win but we have.

"Demba (Ba) appears to have a bit of a nerve problem. It is not a major concern and I don't think it is an ongoing problem, but the major question is whether he can make next week.

"Sammy (Ameobi) looks to provide a little bit of a spark for us. I was searching for some sort of lift for the team and I thought he was very positive for us. We changed the system a couple of times and he tried to create for us." 

It's been a strange old season so far and today's game conveniently put it in a nutshell. Despite not firing on all cylinders we managed to get a result that could prove to be crucial for fans, players and staff and while Papiss Cisse thanked Allah for his goal, everyone else thanked their lucky stars for the unwarranted win.

Had Sammy Ameobi's late hit-and-hope effort not hit Cisse's back and flown in, then the temptation to recriminate and analyse exactly why victories were proving to be elusive would have been great, although jammy Ameobi's added time deflected effort shouldn't stop some honest examination.

It's no surprise that last season's heights haven't regularly been reached but glimpses have been disappointingly brief so far. Cisse, Cabaye and Ben Arfa are all still to reach any kind of consistency but all of them are still capable of doing something that can win a game.

A league goal for Cisse was proving to be something of a millstone around his neck and that phrase about needing one to go in off his backside came to fruition in a timely fashion to give United an undeserved victory. Hopefully the goal and the three points will inspire him and his side to greater things, starting with a rare and overdue victory at Anfield.

We're not exactly looking for a kick-start to the season but just the odd misfire here and there can have a significant effect on an engine running smoothly and there are still some mysterious ignition problems that were evident against a side who have got off the starting grid sharply.

The result was undoubtedly tough luck on an Albion side who had been the equal of United for most of the game, despite trailing to a Demba Ba goal. United's top scorer had already seen an earlier header saved but blasted home after Shola Ameobi leapt well to nod on Tim Krul's lengthy punt. 

Newcastle however failed to build on that positive start and looked nervy whenever the visitors counter-attacked, with Krul the busier of the two 'keepers. The Dutchman made two outstanding saves to deny Romelu Lukaku in the first half when the on-loan striker was clean through on goal. The finishing wasn't great but Krul did everything right to deny Lukaku.

However, it was no real shock when the 'keeper was picking the ball out of his net ten minutes into the second half, when that man Lukaku nodded in from close range after Gera had far too much time and space to chip an exquisite cross that couldn't be missed.

It was a wake-up call to the home side who had looked very sluggish after the break but when Ba limped off with a foot problem and was replaced by Sammy Ameobi, we continued to find chances hard to come by - and remained vulnerable at the other end.

Cisse had already replaced Danny Simpson and Gabriel Obertan had come on for Shola Ameobi so with all three substitutes on the field, the side finishing the game was almost unrecognisable from the one that started it.

Davide Santon had switched sides, Gutierrez had dropped into defence and with a new forward line our team had been reshuffled so much it looked like we might collapse like a pack of cards at any moment - echoing some of the uncertainty against Brugge in midweek when both Obertan and Shane Ferguson appeared to believe they were playing at outside left in the closing stages.

Perhaps crucially however, former Magpies coach Steve Clarke opted to withdraw the dangerous Lukaku and his replacement Shane Long didn't provide the same threat, seemingly unable to take out his frustration at being left on the bench with anyone but himself.

Instead of going for the win, Albion seemed satisfied with just a point and for the last ten minutes allowed United to mount some late attacks. They invariably broke down with Obertan's passing as wayward as his crosses from the byline were lethal - twice almost decapitating Cisse with their ferocity. Had one of them hit him and gone goalwards then Foster would have had no chance.

Some corners from Cabaye were also ineffective - either low and hard and easily cleared or high and floated and calmly gathered by Foster - and Sammy Ameobi and Ben Arfa were finding more blind alleys than open spaces to run into as three minutes of added time began.

But somehow the black and whites conjured up a winning goal well into the last minute of those three and referee Chris Foy (who hadn't had a great day up to that point) can take plenty of credit for allowing an advantage when Ben Arfa was fouled. That gave Sammy the chance to hit a long range effort that wickedly deflected off Cisse to send the home fans wild with delight and surprise.

Not only was it a welcome kick-in-the-teeth for a Baggie side who had become a bit of a bogey side in recent years but it was also a nice hoof in the nether regions for those who insist on leaving the ground early. Hopefully, the associates of those who departed without a genuine excuse for doing so, stuck the knife in and twisted it at every available opportunity for missing the late drama.

Meanwhile, the away fans were left to contemplate a long journey back to the Midlands seriously questioning whether the Lord was their shepherd after all. He certainly seemed to have deserted them before the final whistle on this occasion....

Make no mistake, this was a crucial victory for Pardew & Co and while the three points only lifted us above Swansea City into the top half of the table, anything less than a win would have given our position a decidedly different complexion. A good week, at least in terms of the scorelines.

Niall MacKenzie