The Vegan sausage roll clearly wasn't to Steve's taste...

Steve Bruce said:

"The team showed a great spirit after the first twenty minutes when Bournemouth caused us a lot of problems. But after that we had to dig in and we created enough chances to win with a much healthier margin. We needed a break and got one at the right time.

"There was too big a gap between the back three and midfielders. Always on the counter attack, we looked - even in the first half, when we weren’t getting it all our own way - like we had a threat. 

"We had 20 attempts in target, which is quite different! When we scored it lifted the whole crowd, then the longer the game went on we just needed to take more chances.

"Some of the chances we had - I’ve never known in two games one-on-one chances like we’ve had - and to not have taken any. It’s quite remarkable.

"We’ve got magnificent support. Results are the only thing that can help you. The popularity prizes - I’m not really bothered about. 

"I’ve seen my team give a gritty, determined performance, and with 20 shots, it was a very good game for us.

"Can I take this club forward? That has always been my aim.When I have witnessed the tough times we have had over the last few weeks, it was all worthwhile today because the crowd were right behind us. 

In management I think it is always your darkest (hour) when you take a beating like that (0-5 at Leicester City). It is how you respond and how do you react. The response has been clear for everyone to see.”

On Alain Saint-Maximin:

"With Allan you can’t coach him, he just has that natural talent. What he has to work on is how to define a simple pass occasionally, that comes with experience.

"When you have what he has got, you just want to be able to finish. That is what we have to work on and what we will work on. Some of his play, his dribbling ability, I said when I’d first seen him that he will get people off their feet.”

On Ciaran Clark:

"The one thing you want is competition and Ciaran, who was probably questioning… There were times when I didn't pick him in the squad, like today - I'm leaving out people like (Javier) Manquillo, who's done nothing wrong, (Yoshinori) Muto, who's done nothing wrong.

"It's the difficult part of it. All you can say to them is, 'Take your chance', and Ciaran is the prime example of it. He's done remarkably well coming from nowhere. I'm delighted for him.

"He trains every day, works hard every day, great pro and when you see somebody getting the winner like he did from where he was probably six weeks ago not travelling with us, fair play to him."

On the front-three not scoring: 

"They are doing everything but. They are creating chances, and as long as they keep contributing I am sure the rest will come."

On defenders scoring: 

"That's vitally important. We know how important set-pieces are, and if you have three central defenders you need to capitalise."

On the Lascelles injury:

"We don’t know how serious it is until we have the relevant scans. It’s his knee.”

PS: Speaking to the BBC, Bruce also came up with his own Colemanballs contribution:

"Professional football is easy, you just stick it in the back of the net. (You) can do it with your eyes folded."

Eddie Howe said: 

"We started the game so well. We created a number of chances and we looked in a really good place. We scored a good goal but then we made some uncharacteristic errors and just gave Newcastle the encouragement they needed to get back into the match.

"We made some uncharacteristic mistakes with the ball in a time when we were dominating the game and when you give Newcastle transitions with the attacking players that they have, with the pace they have in their team, that is a dangerous thing to do and from that point it just gave them confidence that got the crowd into the game.

"I think that is a huge frustration from our perspective because we were dominant for that opening spell of the half and really we should have been looking to try and get that second goal that maybe we needed.

"I thought Josh (King) had got a really good chance to score there and unfortunately it goes the wrong side of the post."

On Bournemouth's opening goal:

"I have to give (Assistant Coach) Jason Tindall a lot of credit for the work he does with set plays, the players and the routines we have. 

"We have always prided ourselves on being innovative from those positions and it was really, really well planned but brilliantly executed by the players and a great finish from Harry (Wilson).”

United recorded back-to-back wins for the first time this season, coming from behind at St. James' Park on Saturday to claim three points that lifted them to the dizzy heights of 11th in the table - before a dose of reality the following day saw them drop back two places.

And as was the case at West Ham, Steve Bruce's strike force were grateful to their defensive colleagues for showing them the way in front of goal, DeAndre Yedlin and Ciaran Clark both netting.

The Magpies lined up unchanged against the Cherries but were forced into an alteration after just 20 minutes when Jamaal Lascelles was replaced by Paul Dummett - the captain failing to recover from an early collision with his own goalkeeper, Martin Dubravka.

That arose from a coming together precipitated by a needless lunge by Callum Wilson, who had lost possession and wasn't entitled to challenge for the ball. The first of a series of sneaky and wanton assaults by the visitors had made a mark, and been ignored by the officials.

Clad in an unpleasant lemon change strip reminiscent of our effort from 2012, Bournemouth started well and had been denied by a point-blank stop from Dubravka well before their 14th minute opener.

That came from a short corner routine when Newcastle switched off momentarily and Harry Wilson ran round from the back post to the near before depositing a curling shot into the Gallowgate goal.

However, United rallied and after Alain Saint-Maximin had rattled the crossbar at the other end when he seemed a certain scorer, the Frenchman's deflected shot was met by Yedlin, who flung himself to head in from almost on the goal line.

Rightly denied a goal from similar range at West Ham last week due to an offside decision, this one looked an even more clear-cut transgression, but the goal was cleared by VAR after some moments of indecision - a situation that took much of the joy out of the moment, the first time that we've endured this bizarre consequence of technology - or least the way it's currently deployed in the PL. 

A buoyant Newcastle poured forward almost immediately and Joelinton was presented with clear sight of goal, only to frustratingly shoot wide of the target.

What proved to be the winning goal arrived seven minutes into the second period, when Jetro Willems floated over a cross, Federico Fernandez headed it on and Ciaran Clark's scuffed shot trickled into the net for his second goal in as many games.

The hosts were then content to soak up pressure and play on the counter attack, Joelinton losing out on a one v one with goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale just before the hour.

With ten minutes of normal time remaining, another rapid scamper forward from Saint-Maximin ended with him shooting against the 'keeper and ended up on the floor deep inside the box.

Enter Miguel Almiron, who looked destined to finally break his scoring duck as he bore down on the loose ball, blasting it goalwards but somehow managing to strike the prone Saint-Maximin and see his shot pass narrowly wide of the goal. Unbelievable.

Then came what should have been a red card for Lewis Cook who gave Joelinton a jab to the ribs off the ball, followed up by a couple of slaps, pretending to be pats for the prone striker. In these days of VAR, it's difficult to know how he got away with that.

Into six added minutes and with Andy Carroll added to the mix and contributing at both ends of the pitch, the Cherries threatened until the final seconds when Josh King looked a certain scorer as he met a deflected corner at the far post - only to head wide.

Like the questionable call for Yedlin's leveller, that welcome piece of good fortune allied to a steely resolve secured a massive win for the Head Coach send us into the international break in good fettle.

After a genuine team performance with positive contributions across the field, it's fair to say that Bruce's side can now be referred as "improving Newcastle." Players have steadily grown in confidence and competence since that 0-5 walloping at Leicester in late September when questions over their organisation and character were rightly raised.

Today's victory comes almost a year to the day since an identical result defeated Bournemouth here and gave us back to back league successes for the first time that season. 

Then as now, things are anything but ideal round these parts, but there's a sense that we've finally shaken off the torpor caused by another muddled pre-season after a dozen games. It wasn't only in the stands that the change of coach came as a shock to the system.    

Biffa

This report to dedicated to season ticket holder Colin Watson, who passed away hours before the game. From North Shields, Colin was a familiar face on the Monkseaton/Whitley Bay bus to away games. Our condolences go to wife Hazel, children Colin & Tracey and his friends.

Colin Watson RIP