The view from the dug-out

Dec 9 2007 by Neil Farrington, Sunday Sun

SAM ALLARDYCE last night eyed a rapid rise up the Premier League after seeing Newcastle end their winless streak.

The United boss admitted “nothing else mattered” for his side but three points against Birmingham.

But he hailed the “monumental effort” which secured a first win in seven Premier League games.

And Allardyce looked ahead to matches against Fulham, Derby and Wigan as an opportunity to climb back towards the top six.

“It would have been a huge disappointment had we not won this game today,” Allardyce admitted. “I would have had to have said: ‘This is not good enough.’

“It’s a really, really big three points. Nothing else really mattered today. We had to get a win on the back of some good performances.

“And this was a monumental effort today - great credit to the lads.

“Coming back after the huge disappointment of going 1-0 down again to such a sloppy goal was a huge ask, but they came storming back.

“We had 14 shots, yet instead of having them dead and buried at half-time, we only had a penalty.

“Early in the second half, we had a bit of a lull, but we kept on going, and a quality ball in and a quality header have given us three points we so richly deserved.”

Allardyce hailed matchwinner Habib Beye’s “tremendous game” and insisted his side is now set for lift-off as “we’re getting to know each other a bit more”.

But Birmingham’s new boss Alex McLeish was furious over the penalty which earned Newcastle their equaliser.

Matt Sadler was adjudged to have tripped Obafemi Martins, and McLeish raged: “It gave Newcastle a lifeline they never really looked like getting.

“Matt won the ball, but followed through on a greasy surface and had no way of avoiding Martins. It was a cruel way for Newcastle to get back into it.”