Paul Merson delivers silverware verdict on 'dark horses' Newcastle after last gasp win over Crystal Palace

The Magpies left it late to beat Crystal Palace on Friday night, with Callum Wilson and Joelinton wrapping up a 2-0 win in the dying minutes.

That result was the Toon Army’s first top flight win since they saw off Everton on November 1st, and allowed them to climb into the top half of the Premier League table.

And while Merson has acknowledged that the result will do little to placate a frustrated fanbase, he has also suggested that positive results in the early stages of the season could have promising implications further into the campaign.

When asked whether the win over Palace would be enough to silence disgruntled supporters during Sky Sports News’ Soccer Saturday, he said: “I doubt it. I very much doubt it.

"I’m pleased for Steve Bruce. I think he’s a top manager, I think he’s a real good manager.

"If I was a Newcastle fan, I’d be looking at this and I’d be thinking, ‘The more points we get quickly, the more chance we’ve got a chance of having a good run in the FA Cup’. That’s all Newcastle fans hope for. They want to win a trophy, and when you look here you can win a League Cup or an FA Cup.

"Usually, they’re down fighting near the bottom of the league, and they have to rest players because they have a big game the following Saturday. I think the more wins they get, the more chance they’ve got of playing a strong team in the FA Cup, and then they become dark horses, in my opinion.

"I think he [Bruce] has done a great job when you look at the teams he’s above at the moment, but will they be happy? I doubt it.”

Newcastle haven’t lifted a major trophy since they won the Fairs Cup in 1969.

The Magpies reached the quarter-finals of the FA Cup for the first time since 2004/05 last season, but were knocked out by Manchester City in a lacklustre 2-0 defeat.