Newcastle United's Tim Krul produced an inspired second-half performance to keep out Tottenham Hotspur in his side's 1-0 victory at White Hart Lane, with Loic Remy's 12th-minute goal proving the difference.
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The hosts started the first half brightly and Roberto Soldado should have put them ahead from a corner in the ninth minute, but the Spaniard put his free header over the bar.
However, Newcastle were quick to respond and Brad Friedel had to push away Yohan Cabaye's driven corner and got down quickly again to thwart the Frenchman.
The Magpies took a 13th-minute lead when Yoan Gouffran dispossessed Paulinho and slipped the ball through to Remy, who rounded Friedel before passing it into an empty net.
Spurs came close to equalising from a couple of free kicks around the half-hour mark, as Jan Vertonghen fired just wide before Soldado was denied by a fingertip save from Krul.
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Manager Andre Villas Boas introduced Sandro and Younes Kaboul at the break in place of Moussa Dembele and Vlad Chiriches as Spurs began the second half with a renewed verve and energy.
Eight minutes after half time, Christian Eriksen should have put the home side ahead, but the Danish playmaker delayed his shot for too long and although he was wrong-footed, Krul managed to stretch out his left leg to divert the midfielder's low shot round the post.
Gylfi Sigurdsson was the next Spurs player to go close, as Krul somehow kept out his deflected free kick before jumping up to deny Kaboul. Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa was then on hand as he dashed back to hook the ball away from underneath his own crossbar.
Andros Townsend cut in from the right flank and tested Krul with a low drive in the 71st minute, and then Paulinho was denied by the Dutch keeper after good work by Jermain Defoe and Eriksen.
On the one occasion that Krul was beaten, Vertonghen headed his five-yard effort against the crossbar as Spurs pushed valiantly for an equaliser, but the afternoon belonged to Krul and Newcastle.
Kristian Johnson
