Late reaction: Cabaye curler keeps Magpies run alive

Newcastle United  are halfway there, it may not be their overall aim this season, but the Magpies are pretty much halfway to safety.

Given the course that this Premier League season has taken, it seems unlikely that it will take more than 40 points to secure survival.

Newcastle will have set their sights a little higher this campaign, but to achieve roughly half the points needed to stay in the division after 9 games, is a highly commendable accomplishment.

Their points total was increased to 19 after Yohan Cabaye scored his first goal for the club late in the game to give Newcastle a 1-0 win over a determined Wigan Athletic side. As first goals go, this was a pretty special one,  Cabaye curling a first time shot into the top corner after Sylvain Marveaux had controlled a Ryan Taylor delivery before laying off a well placed pass for the former Lille man to score.

Wigan will perhaps feel they deserved a point from what was a committed and well organised display - and Newcastle will be the first to admit that they were far from the best- still it was a result that perfectly demonstrated just how far Alan Pardew's side have come in a very short space of time.

Last season Newcastle showed great fighting spirit to come from 2 goals down to snatch a 2-2 draw in the corresponding fixture against Wigan. This year it was a dose of quality, provided by Cabaye that handed them the victory.

The team spirit within the squad is still very much there, and it was evident in Cabaye's celebration, as Cabaye was mobbed by his teammates after he had initially run to celebrate the goal with the staff in the club dugout.

That has been the difference for Newcastle this season, they may have lost the leadership of the likes of Nolan and Barton, but they have gained quality through messrs Cabaye, Ben Arfa, Marveaux and Ba, while the team spirit still remains.

The end result, Newcastle can win games without playing particularly well, the Toon Army will be hoping they can do this on a regular basis and maintain their current rich vain of form.