Late winner delights Allardyce

At the end of a week during which the Magpies restored pride with a battling point against Arsenal, it looked as though they were heading for a draw until the Senegal international defender turned up at the near post in the final minute to head Emre's corner past Maik Taylor.

Allardyce said: "It is a really, really big three points. Nothing else really mattered today but three points, and we got them."

The goal - Beye's first for the club to end a drought dating back to January last year - secured Newcastle's first league win in seven attempts and further eased the pressure on a manager who just a few days ago was joint favourite with the bookmakers to lose his job.

The Newcastle boss added: "We have worked very, very hard over the last seven days - Blackburn and then Arsenal and now Birmingham - and now finally got what we deserved.

"Birmingham, for us, is a winnable game. It would have been a huge disappointment had we not won this game today. I would have had to say 'this is not good enough'.

As ever with Newcastle, the win was far from straightforward after they 'gifted' striker Cameron Jerome the opening goal with just nine minutes gone. They eventually levelled from the penalty spot on 36 minutes after Obafemi Martins picked himself up from Mathew Sadler's challenge to score his seventh goal of the season.

James Milner hit the bar three minutes before the break. But the Magpies, perhaps feeling the effects of their exertions against Arsenal, were strangely subdued for much of the second half. However, substitute Emre breathed new life into their late assault he curled the perfect corner to the near post for Beye to head past Taylor.

Blues boss Alex McLeish was unhappy with referee Rob Style's decision to award Newcastle their penalty.

He said: "I am pretty aggrieved. I have seen the pictures. When you see it slowed down, Mathew Sadler wins the ball, follows through with his right foot on a greasy surface - and there was no way of avoiding Martins. There was no way Martins was getting the ball from Sadler's tackle. (Liam) Ridgewell had easily mopped it up."