THE sign of a good side is generally held to be that they are capable of winning when slightly below their best. The question for Newcastle United, after Saturday’s remarkable victory at Bournemouth, is what does it say about a team when they can succeed despite performing dreadfully?

Make no mistake about it, this wasn’t just the Magpies making a handful of errors. For large chunks of an unfathomable afternoon, Steve McClaren’s side were wretched, wastefully conceding possession as they attempted to attack and lacking even the most basic organisation as Bournemouth’s creative players ripped their defence apart.

Yet they scored through their only shot on target courtesy of Ayoze Perez midway through the first half, and clung on for dear life as Rob Elliot’s goalkeeping heroics enabled them to claim a first away win of any description since January.

The first thing to conclude is that any talk of Newcastle being unlucky should immediately be shelved. Fabricio Coloccini’s dismissal, which was later reversed, might have ruined the derby, and Jack Butland’s stellar display might have deprived them of two points against Stoke. After this weekend, though, the tables of fate have well and truly been turned.

The second key point is clearly the performance of Elliot. Having been a huge injury doubt for the majority of the week, the Irishman made at least six superb saves to keep the scoresheet blank. It was his best display in a Newcastle shirt by a distance, and also the best performance by a Magpies goalkeeper since Tim Krul broke the Premier League record for the number of saves in a single game at Tottenham.

For all the talk of Krul’s absence potentially costing Newcastle “15 or 20 points” this season, Elliot has proved he is a more than capable deputy. Even if Karl Darlow returns at the end of the international break, Elliot deserves to keep his place.

Perhaps the most important thing to take from this weekend’s events, though, is the strength of Newcastle’s collective character. That is something that has been called into question repeatedly this season, and there were times during the first half on the south coast, with Bournemouth mounting wave after wave of attacks and forcing a succession of corners, when it would have been easy for the Magpies to collapse.

Had they conceded before the interval, perhaps they would have. As it was though, they summoned a degree of commitment and resolve that many believed was beyond them. Fabricio Coloccini and Chancel Mbemba began to win headers and make blocks, Cheick Tiote’s second-half display was easily his best of the season, and gradually Bournemouth ran out of impetus and ideas.

The final half-hour was the most trouble-free part of the game from a Newcastle perspective, and for that, their players deserve a huge amount of credit. They didn’t deserve to win, but somehow, they did. In the weeks and months that lie ahead, that talent could be crucial.

“It’s important that we showed we can win a game like that,” said Coloccini, who emerged from a rocky start to finish as Newcastle’s best outfield performer. “You always want to be playing really good football, but it was good to see the team fighting like we did.

“We tried to play football of course, but the most important thing is that when it is not going so well, we still put everything into the game to try to get a result. We always talk about giving 100 per cent on the pitch, and I think you saw a team playing like that.

“There were a lot of balls into the box, but I thought in general we defended well. The whole team did a great defensive job, starting from the strikers and finishing with Rob Elliot in goal. That was the important thing – we played like a team. That’s very important to see.”   

Even so, Newcastle’s efforts would have been redundant had it not been for Elliot. He was determined to play from the minute he walked into the training ground last Monday morning, and while his ongoing thigh problem remains unresolved, he did not appear to be suffering from the twinges that caused him to wince throughout the second half against Stoke.

If we were to go through his saves one by one, it would take forever, so let’s stick to his three best moments. The first came ten minutes in, as he raced from his line to deny Josh King after a dreadful pass from Vurnon Anita was exacerbated by a slip from Mbemba. Having been criticised for his hesitancy at the Stadium of Light, this was an example of superb alertness.

Elliot’s best save came just before the interval, as he kept out Dan Gosling’s back-post header from a Matt Ritchie cross, and he was at it again moments after the break as he tipped the hugely impressive Ritchie’s drive over the crossbar. Three great saves, but there were plenty more.

“Rob was outstanding,” said Coloccini. “I’m pleased we managed to win the game for him because he played so well. He was injured for most of last week, but he came out straight away and said he wanted to play.

“That’s the type of person we need in the changing room. He’s an example for all the players to follow and his attitude is exactly what you want when you are trying to improve and win games.”

How Bournemouth must wish Federici had been similarly effective. The Bournemouth goalkeeper only had one thing to do all game, but after a neat interchange between Aleksandar Mitrovic and Georginio Wijnaldum set up Perez, the Spaniard scored even though his shot was directed close to Federici’s left hand.

“It’s a massive thing to be out of the bottom three,” said Coloccini. “It’s important to get confidence if we want to grow as a team.”