Newcastle United ended a run of three straight defeats on Sunday as they earned a 1-0 victory at home to Aston Villa in the Premier League.

The decisive goal came in the first minute of injury time when Loic Remy pounced to secure his side the spoils.

The win has seen the Magpies move up to eighth place in the table, while Villa stay in 13th position.

Here, Sports Mole takes a closer look at the action between the two sides at St James' Park.

Match statistics

Newcastle
Shots: 23
On target: 5
Possession: 55%
Corners: 10
Fouls: 12

Aston Villa
Shots: 10
On target: 2
Possession: 45%
Corners: 1
Fouls: 10

Was the result fair?

A goalless draw would have been the most reasonable outcome at St James' Park as the two sides showed little in the way of adventure or invention, but it was Newcastle who kept going and were rewarded with Remy's late winner.

Newcastle's performance

The Magpies were far from convincing throughout the 90 minutes as they put in a tired and uninspiring display in front of their own fans. They struggled to show much in the way of motivation and looked as if they were in constant need of a spark in the final third. That said, Alan Pardew's side suddenly burst into life with about 10 minutes to play, pushing hard to find a winning goal. It has been a difficult few weeks for the club, but this victory could be be vital in stopping the rot.

Aston Villa's performance

The Villans took advantage of Newcastle's lethargy in the first half, attacking with plenty of purpose and controlling the game in other areas. It was a similar story after the break, but a lack of finishing saw them let Newcastle off the hook time and again. Manager Paul Lambert will be bitterly disappointed that his team failed to come away with anything, but this is likely to provide a valuable lesson for his young group of players.

Sports Mole's man of the match

Loic Remy: On what was a dull afternoon in the North-East, Newcastle's enigmatic forward lit up the game late on with his well-taken goal. He also worked hard up front for much of the match, which is more than can be said for his strike partner Papiss Cisse.

Biggest gaffe

Papiss Cisse was guilty of an embarrassing miss at the end of the first half as he somehow fired over the crossbar from about eight yards with the goal gaping in front of him.

Referee performance

Martin Atkinson had a big call to make in the second half when he turned down a Newcastle penalty appeal following Leandro Bacuna's handball. He got that particular decision wrong, but overall it was a solid display from the official.

What next?

Newcastle: The Magpies return to Premier League action on Saturday when they make the trip to Hull City.

Aston Villa: The Villans continue their Premier League campaign next Sunday at home to Norwich City.