"I'm satisfied with the point but frustrated it maybe wasn't more. The way we started the game was excellent: the only disappointment for me was that we only got one goal - there was more in it for us.

"Although we dominated they still had a threat in the game. That's what West Ham can do to you. We're disappointed that the free-kick was poorly defended from our perspective.

"That's a frustration, but the character and response was there. With the balls we put into the box, it should have been more.

"It was a really good performance for us. A tough ground, we started really well, put them under pressure, got a lot of balls in their box and were disappointed to only get one goal really. West Ham are a top team so are always in the game.

"We deserved it in the opening 45 minutes and it was a great goal for us, we are disappointed with the one we conceded because we know all about their set-piece threat."

On Joe Willock:

"It is very important for him personally and the team, he is a goalscorer, he is a key player for us, it has been coming.

"His performances have improved week on week - hopefully that is the first of many as our midfield probably hasn't contributed enough (goals)."

On the absent Saint-Maximin:

"He got a kick on his calf against Villa – I think you saw him limping towards the end of the game. He didn’t train this week: we hoped he’d been fit, but, obviously, he didn’t make the game.

"(It's) hopefully nothing too serious, but it was enough to keep him out today.”
 

Joe Willock's first goal of the season brought Newcastle a deserved point from a solid display at the London Stadium on Saturday lunchtime.

Trailing to Craig Dawson's headed opener from a free kick, Willock clipped the ball home during first half added time to send the teams in level.

And that's how it stayed until the end; disgruntled home followers heading for the exits even earlier than usual; the hosts unable to pose a composed and well-drilled Magpies side any threat.

Already without the talismanic Kieran Trippier, Allan Saint-Maximin was also missing due to fitness concerns: something kept quiet until the teams were submitted - progress of a sort in itself, given the previous leakiness of our training ground....

ASM was replaced by Jacob Murphy, while Jonjo Shelvey, Joelinton and Ryan Fraser continued in midfield, leaving Bruno benched again. 

Opening brightly on a damp day in the East End, Joelinton, Murphy and Willock all attempted shots in the opening stages, before Fraser's powerful volley was blocked by a defender in the eighth minute.

Little had been seen of the Hammers as an attacking force before Jarrod Bowen broke into the box from the right and brought a fingertip stop out of Martin Dubravka after 20 minutes.

The home side went ahead following a free kick from the opposite flank that was given away when Emil Krafth impeded Michail Antonio; dropped to the front post by Aaron Cresswell for Dawson to net with a simple header.

Attempting to get back in the game, some over-elaboration from Newcastle saw them waste good approach work by failing to test the goalkeeper.

That all changed in the first minute of added time, when the overlapping Fraser chipped in a cross from the left byline. Declan Rice miscued his clearance and headed it up in the air, Willock reacting first to get between two home players and flick the ball goalwards as it dropped.

Eluding Fabianski, the ball hit the far post then rebounded and curled back across the goal line before the goalkeeper scooped clear.

Referee Chris Kavanagh was instantly able to confirm the legitimacy of the equaliser via goal line technology to quell home protests, as Willock led celebrations behind the goal in front of the away throng.

The black-clad visitors looked more imaginative and posed the greater threat after the break, although had only an off-target Willock shot and superior possession stats to show for their efforts.

However that unbeaten league run to six games was achieved with something to spare; enforced personnel changes failing to detract from greater organisation and understanding of the system Newcastle are playing.

From being dependent on the individual brilliance or otherwise of ASM to be collectively playing on the front foot with demonstrable success in his absence is worthy of praise.  

Improving fitness is also an important plus; minimising that morale-sapping, "circle the wagons" nose dive that had come to characterize the final 20 minutes or so of our matches.

Game by game, the concession made by the Premier League over the festive period to allow for postponements looks more and more pivotal to our subsequent upturn - along with losing in the FA Cup Third Round.

Following his enforced absence against parent club Aston Villa last week, Matt Targett seamlessly slipped back into the left back role.

On a day of decent displays, Willock especially caught the eye; recapturing the style that made his loan move to SJP permanent; seeming to glide across the turf to elude or dispossess unwitting opponents.

And having successfully filled the injured Callum Wilson's goal void last season, rediscovering his scoring touch is also a perfect piece of timing - this his first in 20 PL appearances, compared to eight in just 14 games last time. 

The point widened the gap between themselves and the bottom three to five points, at least temporarily before that advantage was then reduced back to four points by Watford's 1-0 victory at Villa.

A 3-0 success for Burnley at Brighton left Norwich City bottom on goal difference; the Canaries going 1-0 up at Liverpool before losing 1-3.

Looking up the table, yet another defeat for Everton - 0-2 at Southampton - leaves us level on points with the Toffees, behind only on goal difference.

A 1-2 loss away to Arsenal meanwhile means our next opponents Brentford are now just two points better off  - and have played two games more than ourselves. That has to be massive motivation to continue our positive play in West London next Saturday.

PS: Sunday brought a 4-2 win for Manchester United over Leeds United at Elland Road - leaving Marcelo Bielsa's Whites just a solitary point ahead of us having played the same number of games and with an inferior goal difference.

Biffa