Newcastle showed further evidence of their gradual improvement under Eddie Howe by drawing 1-1 at top four-chasing West Ham to extend their unbeaten run in the Premier League to six games on Saturday.
Joe Willock's deft finish in first-half stoppage time canceled out the headed opener scored by Craig Dawson in the 32nd minute at London Stadium.
Newcastle hasn't lost in the league since December 19 and now look to have enough quality to avoid relegation.
West Ham could have returned to fourth place — at least overnight — with a win and went ahead when Dawson got on the end of a curling free kick to bury his header inside the near-post.
Declan Rice was then at fault for the equaliser after miscuing his attempted headed clearance from a cross into the centre of the area.
Instead, he sent it back into the six-yard box, where Willock stretched to poke his foot out between Dawson and Ryan Fredericks and guided a volley with the outside of his boot in off the post. Hawkeye confirmed the ball had crept over the line as it rebounded.
