Eddie Howe said:

"Very pleased especially after midweek. It was a tough challenge mentally ro recover from exiting Europe. What a great response. We lost two big players to injury. Everything was thrown at us.

On Lewis Miley: 

"He’s come into the team and been magnificent. He’s deserved to keep his place. We wanted to rest him today, someone so young, and today he got his rewards. 

His overall performance level has been so high, his all-round performances have been so good and he's created a couple of goals with some really good passes in the final third. 

"It's good to see him rewarded with a goal for himself. He's an incredible talent, he's started his Newcastle career in a great way.

Miley on his goal:

"What a moment it was for me and my family. They were in the stand. Great feeling to see the ball in the back of the net. Hopefully I can score lots more.

"I haven't checked my phone yet but I'm sure everyone will be buzzing for us."

Bruno said:

"Sometimes I can't believe he's 17. He's unbelievable. We're very proud of him. He's doing very, very well."

Marco Silva:

"Firstly, I congratulate Newcastle, they won the game. They needed a quiet game, a calm game this afternoon after their Champions League midweek game, and they had it.

“Clearly it wasn't our fault for them to have such a quiet game, because we gave our best, we did everything on the pitch. In my opinion, a really strange and poor performance from the referee from the first minute until the last minute of the match.

"I'm not talking just about the red card, but all the sequences from the game, the way he managed the game. He gave the first foul for Fulham with 21 minutes in the game. Really strange.

"All the challenges, all the moments that, until the red card, when they were for Fulham we keep going, and the opposite side everything was a foul. Really strange, even before the red card, Lascelles clearly elbowed Raúl.

"A clear elbow on Raúl – not even a foul. I'm not saying that should be a red card or not, but VAR didn't stop the game even to check. That is strange, but it is a clear foul on Raúl with an elbow from Lascelles. Even that moment wasn't a foul in the opinion of the referee.

"Two minutes after that moment, Raúl has to be much more calm, probably shouldn’t go challenging in that way because, in my opinion, he lost the moment to challenge for that ball.

"The ball was not there to challenge. The way he jumped into the player – it's not a serious tackle, it’s not something really serious like a red card.

"I think the (yellow card) decision from the referee probably was the most assertive one. But, again, the VAR wanted to decide something different. But two minutes before, the same VAR didn’t check anything with the elbow. Everything was strange in terms of the decisions.

"For the team to come here to St James’ Park, to handle the pressure, to play and to face Newcastle – they are a good side, their results at home speaks for themselves.

"You have to be brave enough, you have to have the experience, you have to have the quality. 

"Before the match we really felt that was a moment for us to come and to match them and to face them.”

It's funny how the rookie ref jibes were absent from Silva's press call when Sam Barrott made his PL bow in October, in the Fulham versus Sheffield United game that the Cottagers won 3-1. 

Newcastle returned to winning ways at St. James' Park on Saturday afternoon, seeing off a Fulham side clad in shocking pink and reduced to ten men after just 22 minutes.

A reckless assault on Sean Longstaff initially earned Raul Jimenez a yellow card from rookie referee Sam Barrott, but that was upgraded to red after he was prompted to check the pitchside monitors by the VAR Michael Salisbury.

The Mexican was angry after the officials ignored his claims for an elbow by Jamaal Lascelles moments before, but was rightly dismissed for needlessly clattering into the United midfielder who was thankfully unscathed. 

Rather less fortunate though were Fabian Schar and Joelinton, who both limped off during the opening half after pulling up with apparent hamstring issues.

Anthony Gordon struck the crossbar in the 30th minute and Longstaff had a shot blocked as the hosts sought to press home their man advantage against the visitors.

A breakthrough eluded them in the first half, but United never looked back once Lewis Miley supplied the calmest of finishes in the 57th minute; Miggy Almiron and Dan Burn then sealing the victory.

That came after a more direct approach from the hosts saw both Gordon and Miley test the 'keeper, before Miley wrote his name into the record books as the club's youngest Premier League scorer.

The architect of that goal was Bruno Guimaraes, whose dribble into the box took him past a clutch of opponents, crucially staying on his feet to route the ball via an opponent to Miley, who fired in.

Seven minutes later it was 2-0 when Callum Wilson was upended by Antonee Robinson, only for Miggy to ram the loose ball into the Gallowgate goal before the seemingly inevitable penalty award followed. A VAR check soon confirmed that Wilson hadn't strayed offside.

Burn then bundled in the third from point-blank range eight minutes from the end of the 90, after his header from a fine Bruno cross was blocked by Bernd Leno.

More goals could have followed; Longstaff firing narrowly over, Wilson hitting the post and Matt Ritchie's first-time volley kept out by Leno's outstretched leg. He last scored in July 2020.

But Eddie and his staff - Jason Tindall being serenaded with a version of "Last Christmas" in the closing stages and after full time - will be more than happy with the three goals and a clean sheet after losing two more players to injury, severity to be confirmed. 

Partially offsetting further fitness concerns though was the welcome return of Sven Botman as a late substitute after missing the previous 18 league and cup games. A measure of his standing amongst both players and supporters could be gauged by the roars of approval from the stands and the number of handshakes and high-fives from his colleagues..

Guimaraes and Almiron prospered against the ten-man Cottagers, while Emil Krafth was an admirable stand-in for the suspended Kieran Trippier - brought on at right back when Tino Livramento was switched to the left, doing so after Burn was moved infield to compensate for the loss of Schar.

Victory took Newcastle to sixth, Fulham dropping out of the top half having started the game tenth following back to back 5-0 home victories, before suffering their third successive away defeat.

And it also marked the 50th win in all competitions for Howe as Magpies boss in his 99th game - rounding off a challenging week on something of a high note. We needed this.

Biffa