Dwight Gayle is backing a united front to ease Newcastle to Premier League safety.
He played a key role in the Magpies’ 3-0 victory over Southampton on Saturday which eased them five points clear of the drop zone.
There is still work to be done with eight games remaining and the club still as many points shy of manager Rafael Benitez’s target of 40, but Gayle is confident that the sense of togetherness which has got them to this stage will prove decisive.
He said: “Everybody is just pulling in the same direction and everybody is focused on the main goal, which is to stay up. You can see that from everybody.
“We scored three goals on Saturday and none of them came from the strikers, but we are all working hard and that’s a reflection of people pulling in the same direction.
“The defence was fantastic, as they have been for the last few months, and long may that continue.
"Hopefully we can keep pushing up the table and get to a position of safety.
“It was just important that we got the win and played really well. It was a fantastic day for everybody.”
Newcastle do not play again until March 31 when Huddersfield, who emerged from the Sky Bet Championship alongside them at the end of last season, head for St James’ Park in another fixture which could have a major say on the battle for survival.
In the meantime, Benitez will take his players to Spain for a four-day training break and friendly match later this week.