Newcastle Unite manager Steve Bruce has heaped praise on Allan Saint-Maximin, who scored the winning goal against Southampton on Saturday. The Magpies were handed with an early advantage in the game with the sending off for Moussa Djenepo but they could not capitalise with Matt Ritchie failing to score from the penalty spot.

It appeared that the Tyneside outfit would go winless for the sixth league game on the bounce but that was not the case with Saint-Maximin finding the net in the 79th minute. That eventually helped to seal a 1-0 win on the south Coast and Bruce was delighted with the impact from the former Nice man.

“I said when he walked in he will excite people. His natural ability is scary. He has a bit to learn too, and if he does, if he sorts the other bits out, we have a hell of a player on our hands. He is always a threat, wants to past you and that is a dying art. He has that natural ability in abundance,” he was quoted as saying in a press conference.

The Magpies have generally improved their performances during the backend of the top-flight season and that has been sufficient to keep them clear of the relegation zone. However, they find themselves in a more comfortable position this term with 35 points on the board and they have a healthy eight-point advantage over 18th-placed Bournemouth with nine games to play.

The Tyneside outfit have a few difficult games during the final months of the campaign but in between those, they face the likes of Aston Villa, West Ham United, Bournemouth, Watford, and Brighton, who are all below them on the table. None of those teams have won more than once over the past five league matches.