Battling Point Brings Belief - Beye

HABIB Beye believes that Saturday's battling point at Stoke City can breathe life into Newcastle United's survival campaign.

The Magpies looked like becoming the latest big name to leave the Britannia Stadium empty handed this season as they entered the final ten minutes trailing to Abdoulaye Faye's first-half header.

But, while the Potters had laid siege to the visiting danger zone with a bombardment of high balls and long throw-ins throughout the game, they hadn't banked on the aerial prowess of Andy Carroll at the other end of the field and, with nine minutes remaining, the Geordie substitute leapt to steer home a towering header and snatch a point for Alan Shearer's side.

Senegal ace Beye said: "This was a massive point and now we really believe we can do it.

"Hopefully this will give us a bit of momentum now because, after they scored, few people would have expected us to leave with anything.

"Now we have six matches left, 18 points to play for and we know we can stay up. If we show this type of spirit again maybe we can get something away from home, as well as the three matches we have at home.

"Everyone knows what Alan Shearer has done before. He took this job for the last eight games because he is from the area and he wants to save Newcastle United.

"If anyone can do that for this club it is him because everyone knows he is a Newcastle legend.

"He does not want to see Newcastle in the Championship and he is full of spirit. We are trying to make sure he achieves that.

"Every new manager wants to change something. We were in the bottom three for a reason and he has tried to bring more discipline.

"We have a challenge of the next six games and if we can get 18 points that would be perfect. Twelve would also be good."

And, of goal-hero Carroll, Beye added: "I told him before the game to stay focused because we needed everyone to stay focused, even those that did not start. It is good for him because he works hard every day in training and he got a good goal for us.

"He is a nice lad, a Geordie lad, he is from Newcastle and loves the club. He is proud of what he is doing now and he is a young lad who will learn from everyone.

"It is really important when you are young to learn off everyone in training and in matches. But it will also help Andy we now have a manager who was a striker, a top striker, who he can learn from. Andy will be given some good advice from the manager.

"He has shown his quality before, he showed his quality again and it is good to have him in the squad. It looked like a Shearer goal against Stoke."

By Craig Hope