Newcastle United's survival fate is firmly back in their own hands after a gritty but deserved victory over Aston Villa.
At the final whistle, those in black and white hugged each other as if they'd reached the cup final and it would have been hard for those outside of Newcastle to understand the pandemonium.
This situation was arguably unthinkable not so long ago. United looked dead and buried then but here they are in with the chance to fend off the threat of the drop long before the season's end.
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Go back to that choker of a 1-1 draw with Watford just a month ago and all wasn't well around St James' Park.
Back then the Magpies were second bottom and everybody above them had games in hand but now they are the team that holds a four-point cushion over the third bottom side and perhaps more importantly the momentum at the bottom.
Kieran Trippier's free-kick won it against Villa and this means that Newcastle players are now looking up the table now rather than over their shoulders.
Suddenly they are just six points behind Aston Villa in 11th and within swinging distance of the clutch of teams just above them.
The Magpies survived an early injury scare when Fabian Schar went down awkwardly but after treatment, the Switzerland international was able to continue.
Although the moment would set the tone for the afternoon as the Magpies lost two players either side of half-time with knocks.
In a relatively uneventful opening 15 minutes, Newcastle's first real glimpse of penalty area action came on 13 minutes when Ryan Fraser got past Lucas Digne but his cross went straight into the arms of Emiliano Martinez.
With 20 minutes played Chris Wood's lay off found Joe Willock but he could only send it high over the bar at the Leazes End.
Two minutes later Schar went down again, this time with a head wound, with the Toon star demanding a bandage and the right to fight on in this relegation scrap for the Magpies.
The game exploded into life 10 minutes before the break when it looked like Willock had won a penalty.
But VAR overturned the decision and downgraded it to a free-kick.
Nevertheless, Newcastle took full advantage of the situation when Trippier - still on a high from his wonder goal vs Everton - struck a free-kick from the edge of the box which took a deflection and found a way past Martinez via the knee of Emiliano Buendia.
Wood found space on 43 minutes but his shot was high and wide of the target.
Newcastle were dealt a blow when Javier Manquillo went off with an injury and was replaced by Paul Dummett just before half-time.
The Magpies went in at the break with their lead intact after some late Villa pressure.
Newcastle began the second half with an injury blow when goal hero Trippier went down and was taken off immediately replaced by Emil Krafth.
A dangerous free-kick for Villa was curled at goal by Douglas Luiz on 55 minutes but Dubravka was equal to it with the visitors starting to ask questions of the patched-up Toon defence.
Villa thought they'd levelled the game up on the hour mark when Lucas Digne caused some damage down the left before his cross was eventually headed home by Ollie Watkins.
Referee Craig Pawson initially awarded the goal but after a lengthy VAR check, it was decided by video ref Paul Tierney that the goal was offside.
That decisive moment was celebrated by a goal around St James' Park but Newcastle had less than half an hour to hold to a precious lead.
Villa made a double change when Leon Bailey and Danny Ings were introduced for the final 18 minutes.
However, with 15 minutes left the game was suspended for what looked like a medical emergency in the Gallowgate End.
Play resumed but after a succession of corners from Villa, they could not find a way past Dubravka.
Fourth official Mike Dean displayed a total of seven minutes stoppage time and during that allotted period, Brazil international Bruno was introduced for the hard working Willock.
Saint-Maximin weaved his forward deep into injury time but his shot was straight at the goalkeeper.
Despite Villa threatening slightly in the closing stages, Newcastle held on for a huge win.
This was the first time they'd won three games in a row since 2018 in the Premier League - and how they deserved it.
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