VALENTINO LAZARO is hoping Tuesday’s dramatic FA Cup victory at West Bromwich Albion will prove the catalyst for Newcastle United to succeed on two different fronts in the final two-and-a-half months of the season.

The Magpies’ 3-2 win at the Hawthorns booked them a place in the quarter-finals of the competition for the first time since 2006 and took them to within one win of a semi-final appearance at Wembley, something they have not experienced for almost two decades.

However, with the last-eight matches more than two weeks away, attention now switches back to the league programme, where Newcastle find themselves five points clear of the relegation zone with ten more games to play.

Steve Bruce’s side have gone five league games without a win, a sequence they could do with arresting when they travel to Southampton, currently one place above them in the table, at the weekend.

If things do not go well at St Mary’s, there is the potential for things to tighten up even more at the foot of the table, but with the chanting of 5,000 euphoric away supporters at the Hawthorns still ringing in their ears, Lazaro is urging his team-mates to use Tuesday’s celebrations to spur them on.

“It was special,” said the Austrian, who seemed to enjoy playing further up the field as he was switched from the full-back positions to more of an attacking-midfield role. “When you see so many fans travelling, especially after the last few weeks when we haven’t played the best football or showed our potential, then that’s great.

“They still went there, and were noisy and cheering us on. That’s a very special feeling, and it’s why we were so happy to get the win. The whole day was very important for us, the whole feeling, but now we have to transfer that to the Premier League.

“It was an important night in a lot of ways. It’s a cup, and anything is possible. We’re trying to go as far as possible, and there are not a lot of games for the title. You always have to believe.

“We haven’t scored a lot of goals in the past few weeks, so the cup game was very important for us. It was a win, and we’re into the next round. It was very good for the team’s confidence, and now we just hope we can transfer that to the Premier League.”

Lazaro was signed too late to be involved in either of the fourth-round ties against Oxford, so Tuesday’s game was the 23-year-old’s first taste of FA Cup football.

He has previously played in domestic cup matches for Red Bull Salzburg and Hertha Berlin, and his final appearance for Inter Milan prior to January’s loan move came in a Coppa Italia win over Cagliari.

However, the FA Cup’s history makes it a unique proposition, and as a youngster growing up in the Austrian city of Graz, Lazaro was always aware of the competition’s importance in the English footballing calendar.

“I’ve always followed English football, and that means following the FA Cup as well,” he said. “Normally, if you are from Germany, Austria or Italy, then the FA Cup is something very special. That’s why it was so great we got the win and we were able to travel back with that feeling.

“We’re only 90 minutes away from Wembley now, so let’s see. It’s definitely something special. I’ve heard we haven’t been to the quarter-finals in 14 years so it’s something special for the whole club. In one game, anything is possible.”

As well as experiencing FA Cup football for the first time, Lazaro was also able to celebrate his first Newcastle goal on Tuesday night as he bundled the ball home at the start of the second half.

There was an element of fortune to his 47th-minute strike, with West Brom goalkeeper Jonathan Bond palming Allan Saint-Maximin’s cross into his midriff, but Lazaro was rewarded for bursting so purposefully towards the edge of the six-yard box.

“Sometimes, you play a ball and have to make the run right after, and I’m very happy I made that run,” he said. “I think the ball came first from Miggy (Almiron) and then went to Allan, and I just knew I had to go there.

“Sometimes, a striker just has to be there, and when you see that open space, you have to make that run. I know it was lucky – the ball came right on to my stomach and into the goal – but I’m very happy I made that run and to score my first goal.”

Lazaro’s goal propelled Newcastle into a three-goal lead, and while West Brom’s two late goals ensured a nervy finale, the quality of the Magpies’ attacking in the opening hour or so ultimately proved decisive.

Bruce’s side have lacked a cutting edge on a number of occasions this season, but with Lazaro, Almiron and Saint-Maximin supporting Joelinton on Tuesday night, they looked a much more threatening proposition.

“I’ve always said my strengths are in the attack, but in the last two or three years, I’ve learned a lot defensively as well,” said Lazaro. “Of course, I’m better with the ball at my feet or going forward. I’m happy I got to play in that position, and if I can help the team, that makes me even more proud.

“I think all of them (the forwards) played a really good game. You see how hard they work. Also, Joelinton is working so hard for the team. We’re just trying to get our team-mates into positions to score. We’re happy we got three more goals.

“I’m very proud of the whole team because we came out and showed that we wanted to go to the next round and score some goals. I think we had a lot of chances and played good football, and maybe could have scored more goals. At the end though, we’re very happy about the win.”