Newcastle boss Chris Hughton hailed match-winner Kevin Nolan after the in-form midfielder grabbed the only goal of the game at Preston last night to send the Magpies back to the top of the table.
Nolan, the PFA Fans’ Championship Player of the Month for October, struck on 74 minutes to take his seasonal tally to nine, and Hughton said: “We have been able to keep clean sheets, that’s our ninth of the season, and we have a goalscorer in Kevin Nolan.
“It was heading for a 0-0 draw and Kevin has that knack of getting in the right place at the right time. He has that composure and he scored goals at Bolton.”
Given that Newcastle had three strikers leave the club following their relegation last season – Michael Owen, Mark Viduka and Obafemi Martins – and the fact that Shola Ameobi is currently sidelined through injury, Nolan’s goals have been godsend for the Toon.
Hughton added: “We took him last season after he’d had an ankle operation, so he perhaps never got to full fitness last term. Kevin can play central midfield or just off the front man, where he is also an excellent link-up man.
“There is a real desire from the players not to lose games and if you do that you’ve always got a chance of winning.”
Meanwhile, North End manager also praised Nolan’s predatory ability, saying: “We’ve seen Kevin Nolan do that on many occasions and he has got that quality to be able to do that.
“But I thought we performed well overall and the result was a bit harsh – we got undone by a very good piece of finishing.”
