Kieran Trippier has revealed Newcastle United were confident they had the beating of Everton at half-time of their vital victory.
Second-half strikes from Ryan Fraser and Trippier secured a 3-1 win over the Toffees on Tuesday night, and made it back-to-back victories for the first time this season.
Eddie Howe's side are now out of the relegation zone for the first time since October, and are aiming to make it three wins on the spin when they host Aston Villa on Sunday.
It was an even first-half at St James' Park, with Jamaal Lascelles' own goal quickly cancelled out when a header from the United captain was deflected into the net by Mason Holgate.
The teams went into the break level, but Trippier insists the Magpies were confident they had the better of their opponents if they took their performance to 'another level'.
He told NUFC TV: "The message at half-time was we knew we played well in the first 45 minutes, you can't come out in the second-half and not perform.
"Sometimes in games you see that happen, it just happens naturally. But we knew we sort of had them if that makes sense.
"I don't mean that in a disrespectful way because I'm a positive person and the team are as well. We needed to step up another level and I thought we did that.
"We knew we had them on the back foot, and knew it was a massive 45 minutes. It was a great reaction from everybody tonight, and like I said we're one team and that's how it needs to be."
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