The 53-year-old revealed after the game that 21-year-old Alnwick had headed for his office earlier in the season to discuss his lack of opportunities, and fate now appears to have intervened.
Alan Pardew (talking to Sky Sports): "Jak came to see me before Tim got injured and said that he was really disappointed in my management of him, that the club had let him down because we hadn't loaned him out - but we couldn't because he was our third-choice, so we couldn't put ourselves at risk.
"His contract was up at the end of the year and he felt he hadn't really been given an opportunity, and he has been proven right, so fair play to him.
"I said to Andy Woodman, our goalkeeping coach, you have to admire him because he isn't really in a position to bang the door down on me at this stage - I think we'd won four games on the trot.
"But fair play to him."
Alan Shearer said on Match Of The Day: "Jak probably won't be at Newcastle next season, but he was magnificent today.
"At the very least, he has put himself in the shop window."