Newcastle down Stoke in spirited performance typified by captain and match-winner Jamaal Lascelles

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The recuperation of Rafa Benitez and his football club continues. The Spaniard is well and Newcastle United are fourth. Even the rain stopped when Stuart Attwell blew his whistle for the final time on a vociferous afternoon at St James’ Park.

A few Newcastle fans might even want the season to end now, but a third successive top-flight win for the first time in three years suggests better times lie ahead. There is an excitement back in the city.

A fraught summer has given way to a fine autumn. Newcastle still lack the cutting edge that a top striker would have given them. Indeed careless finishing was their most dangerous opponent and Joselu will rue the three opportunities he missed to have killed this game off much earlier.

Then came chances to stretch the lead, Christian Mbemba crossed from the left and Joselu stabbed the ball wide with just Jack Butland to beat. Seven minutes later a DeAndre Yedlin's shot deflected into the path of the Spanish forward, who took a touch and then saw Butland save his shot.

Once Atsu had scored there was a freedom to their play, and at times Stoke were simply overrun, to the fury of Mark Hughes.

His side could only point at a long-range effort from Shaqiri that Rob Elliot acrobatically tipped around the top corner of his goal as a genuine effort.

Instead it was about the movement and vibrancy of a young Newcastle team starting to believe in itself. Joselu however, was again culpable, just 18 seconds into the second half. Atsu again did well down the left and bent a cross that went behind the Stoke backline. The former Stoke forward this time took a touch before striking a right footed shot over Jack Butland’s crossbar with only the goalkeeper to beat.

The profligacy always looked like it could come back to haunt Newcastle, and that came in the 57th minute. Shaqiri had been denied by another good Elliot save six minutes earlier, but at the third time of asking he had the Newcastle goalkeeper’s number.

The Swiss forward picked up the ball five yards outside of the Newcastle penalty area, was afforded the time to tee the ball up on his left foot and he drilled a shot into the bottom corner of Elliot’s goal.

Stoke then had the chance to go ahead. This time Shaqiri was the creator, crossing from the left after a corner had not been cleared properly and when Mame Biram Diouf headed downwards, it looked goalwards until Elliot produced a superb, flying save to his right to tip the ball around his post.

The flow was soon black and white in colour once more and in the 66th minute Ayoze Perez’s square ball set Atsu scampering through towards the Stoke goal with two defenders in his wake.

The former Chelsea man took the ball past the penalty spot before a tackle came in form the side from Kurt Zouma and the defender appeared to get the very slightest of touches to the ball before Atsu was sent tumbling.

Stuart Attwell waved away a vociferous penalty appeal but a second was only two minutes away.

As with the victory at Swansea, it would be down to the desire of the club’s captain.

Ritchie’s corner came over from the right and Lascelles’ movement and power was too much for Kevin Wimmer, and his header went into Butland’s goal off the underside of his crossbar.

He took the acclaim then, as he was the last man to leave the field. Newcastle have spirit, and their captain typifies it.