Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe refused to play down the importance of Saturday's 3-0 victory over Sunderland in the third round of the FA Cup.
The Magpies entered the Tyne-Wear derby off the back of four straight losses, while they had been beaten in seven of their eight matches ahead of the clash with their Championship opponents.
Newcastle managed to secure their spot in the fourth round of the FA Cup courtesy of a three-goal success, with Alexander Isak scoring twice against the Black Cats.
Howe said after the match that his side were still short of their best but insisted that the victory was "a step in the right direction" after a tough run of results.
"It feels great [to win], I never worried about the draw I always thought it was a great draw - as long as we won it," Howe told ITV Sport after the clash at the Stadium of Light.
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"We handled the occasion well, were brave with the ball and were very composed. We didn't let the crowd take over and we handled everything really well in the first half.
"I think we are still a bit off our best but it was a step in the right direction, hopefully the forward momentum can continue.
"If you look at the size of the games we've had this year this was nothing new. We've handled big occasions really well this year.
"We had to do the little bits right today and that's what happened. It keeps us in an important competition and that brings hope. The Premier League doesn't get easy with fixtures so this game was important."
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Howe was also asked about a possible injury for Joelinton, who was replaced in the early stages of the second period, shortly after Isak had made it 2-0 to the visitors.
"He looks like he's got a bit of a knock," the Newcastle head coach added.
The Magpies will now be bidding to return to winning ways in the Premier League when they welcome the champions Manchester City to St James' Park on January 13.
Five losses from their last six in the league have left Howe's side in ninth position in the table, some 11 points behind fourth-placed Arsenal, while they are 10 behind Tottenham Hotspur in fifth.
Matt Law
