Perch slotted into the Magpies’ midfield to help Alan Pardew’s side to victory over Norwich City on Sunday, six weeks after their last win at home to Aston Villa on February 5.
James Perch: “We didn’t play too well but the result was what mattered and three points is absolutely massive.
“One game down, one win, clean sheet. It’s perfect.
"All we need to do now is get the performance better so the fans can enjoy it a little bit more and it’s a little bit easier for them to watch it when maybe we win two or three nil.
“The main objective was win hook or by crook.
"We were fighting for it. Norwich put us under a lot of pressure and we weathered the storm and to be fair the lads at the back and Tim (Krul) did really well to keep them out.
“(Pardew) looks at me as a defensive midfielder so I am like a centre-half playing in midfield just in front of the centre-halves.
“He asked me to put in tackles and said ‘go and put your head where it hurts and put your body on the line’ and that’s what I’ll do every game.
“I just like to play in a team that won. I don’t look too much at my personal performance but the main things was seeing the team won and we got the three points.
"It makes it easier for the lads in the dressing room.
“Playmaker? I don’t know about that. I’ll give it to Cabaye and Jonas to do all that stuff.
“We have extended our lead over Liverpool and got a little bit closer to Chelsea.
“I think we have to give the next nine games a proper go otherwise we are going to have let ourselves down.
“We have got ourselves in this position through hard work and desire so for us to let it slip now with nine games left I think it will be a disappointment and that’s not what we deserve.
“The gaffer said last week not many people get the chance to get into Europe with a club like Newcastle and have a right push.
"He said you have got to grasp it with both hands and make the most of it as in ten years’ time you look back on your career and think ‘I could have got into Europe’ and you have let it slip.
“It is something all the lads want.
“We all want to be there and the aim is to win as many games as we can out of these nine games.”