Newcastle United were already 3-1 up against Brighton, but why stop there? Bruno Guimaraes certainly didn't. There were 91 minutes on the clock when the Brazil international made a lung-busting run to get into the box and lashed the ball home in front of the Gallowgate End.
The guttural roar that greeted the goal will have been heard in Milan, Barcelona and Munich, which are the sort of top-tier European destinations this side appear destined to be heading to in the Champions League next season. Even the club's usually measured coaching staff could not help but jump in the air and spill onto the pitch in wild celebration after that fourth goal went in at St James' Park. Simon Weatherstone clenched his fists. Jason Tindall bearhugged Graeme Jones. Eddie Howe was put in a headlock.
No wonder supporters repeatedly sang: 'Tell me ma, me ma. I won't be home for tea. We're going to Italy!' following Thursday night's 4-1 victory. On this evidence, a Geordie invasion is on the cards across the continent. One more win will see Newcastle return to Europe's top table for the first time in 20 years. Yes, really.
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Yet, such is the mentality of this group, players and staff were not basking in the glory of the win for long ahead of Monday's visit of relegation-threatened Leicester City. Eddie Howe warned: "It won’t mean anything if we don’t back it up." Kieran Trippier told NUFC TV: "There's no time to celebrate because we still have a big job to do." Goal scorer Dan Burn, who had a season ticket in the East Stand when Newcastle last played in the Champions League, added: "We're not going to be complacent about it."
That is ominous for Leicester City and, indeed, Liverpool for that matter. Jurgen Klopp had suggested Newcastle would be 'happy if we would not be there any more'. Well, this felt like the perfect response as the Liverpool boss watched on from afar.
Newcastle held their nerve when, once upon a time, the Magpies may have crumbled after Deniz Undav pulled one back in the 51st minute to make it 2-1 and Roberto De Zerbi unleashed Alexis Mac Allister, Julio Enciso and Evan Ferguson from the bench. The feel of the game changed in an instant. It was nervy, edgy, anxious - everything that the first half wasn't after Undav put through his own net and Burn doubled Newcastle's advantage before the break.
Brighton dominated possession - 66% all told, which is an uncharacteristically huge number for a visiting team at St James' this season - but Newcastle adapted, stayed calm and prevented the Seagulls from having another goal scoring opportunity. With the crowd behind them, streetwise Newcastle waited for the moment to pounce and that moment duly arrived in the 89th minute.
Miguel Almiron skipped past Moises Caicedo deep inside his own half before slipping the ball through to Callum Wilson, who timed his run expertly to exploit Brighton's high line. Wilson had so much space to run into, so much time to overthink, but the number nine showed his know-how by slotting the ball in off Jason Steele to make it 3-1.
Wilson then turned provider in the 91st minute following another clinical breakaway. This time, Wilson held off Lewis Dunk inside the box before unselfishly teeing up Bruno Guimaraes, who lashed home first-time.
The joy was palpable wherever you looked after the ball hit the back of the net and this was certainly no fluke result. Newcastle have scored four or more goals in eight Premier League games this season - as many times as they managed to do so in their previous ten top-flight campaigns combined.
Not many teams have done this to Brighton and the added bonus of this win is that, in an instant, Newcastle wiped out Liverpool's 3-0 win against Leicester City on Monday night. Newcastle are now four points clear of Liverpool with a plus-seven goal difference.
Yet this side won't want it to come down to goal difference - they will simply want to finish off the job after a momentous win against a strong opponent. This was a Brighton side who were fresh from ending Arsenal's title challenge, after all, following a ruthlessly clinical 3-0 win at the Emirates at the weekend, but the Seagulls were a team to respect rather than fear. It was Newcastle who were in third place - not Brighton.
Central to that top four tilt has been Newcastle's home form and the Magpies have only lost two games at St James' Park in the last 12 months. With two home fixtures in the space of just four days, supporters knew they could play their part in Newcastle realising their Champions League dream - starting with the visit of Brighton.
Nick Pope rightly predicted the atmosphere on Thursday night would be 'something special' as he called on his team-mates to 'make the most of it' while Joelinton hailed the fans as '12th man on the pitch' who will be there to 'help us from minute one until the end'. Eddie Howe was the first to admit it was 'absolutely crucial that we try and involve the crowd'.
Newcastle certainly did that - racing out of the blocks - and the Magpies eventually made that pressure count midway through the first half. Kieran Trippier's teasing corner was crying out for someone to get their head on it and Deniz Undav duly put the ball through his own net after flicking the ball on at the near post. Rampant Newcastle were just getting started.
Three minutes of stoppage time had been played in the first half when Trippier's free-kick was headed home by Burn against his former club. Burn may have fond memories of his time at Brighton, but there was no chance that the Geordie was not going to celebrate that one as he performed a knee slide in front of the Leazes End. What a time to step up with your first Premier League goal for your boyhood club.
Newcastle were in dreamland, but it would have been foolish to write Brighton off and the next goal was going to be crucial. Almiron had a great chance to kill Brighton off, but the Paraguay international's volley was straight at Steele and Brighton made Newcastle pay with their next attack as Undav finished past Pope after being played onside in the 51st minute.
Newcastle fans roared in defiance, but it soon felt a little nervy inside St James' as De Zerbi introduced substitutes Alexis Mac Allister, Julio Enciso and Evan Ferguson at once. Newcastle were then forced into a change of their own after Joe Willock pulled up with a hamstring injury on the hour mark and the midfielder was replaced by Elliot Anderson.
This game was on a knife edge. Newcastle supporters continued to urge their side on - chanting 'Eddie Howe's black-and-white army!' on repeat - and Isak had a header pushed away by Steele midway through the second half. Ironically, as slender as that advantage was, it was Newcastle who were creating more chances and the black-and-whites pounced on the counter in the 89th minute.
Almiron carried the ball from deep inside his own half before playing Wilson in and the in-form striker showed remarkable composure to slot the ball past Steele. The noise was deafening but Newcastle were not done yet and, this time, Wilson unselfishly teed up Bruno Guimaraes to make it 4-1 in the 91st minute.
That was the cue for the heartiest rendition of 'tell me ma, me ma' from all four corners of the stadium. They look like they're on their way to Italy, all right. One more win will do it.
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