Glenn Roeder was so grateful for a Titus Bramble thunderbolt that proved to be the winner against FK Ventspils in Riga.
Bramble recovered from a poor start when he could have cost Roeder an embarrassment by gifting two goals, but he hit the crucial winner against Chelsea on the final day of last season which squeezed Newcastle into a vital Intertoto Cup berth ... and he did the same in Latvia.
Roeder: "Titus has chipped in with a few goals over the last half dozen games and none more important than the one against Chelsea that got us into the competition.
"He has now scored another vital goal that without doubt gives us a big advantage in the return leg but we must make sure we are just as motivated for that game as we were tonight.
"It goes without saying we are pleased to come to Riga to win and we prepared as if we were playing Manchester United or Chelsea. We gave Ventspils that much respect which they deserve.
"We are pleased to have scored and taken the lead away from home. We changed our system and put two wide players on the pitch and managed to cause Ventspils a few problems."