STEVEN TAYLOR thinks Newcastle United’s success so far this season has been down to the work ethic running through the squad – suggesting wing-men Jonas Gutierrez and Gabriel Obertan could outlast a Duracell bunny.

Newcastle continued to surprise on Monday night when they climbed up to third with a dogged 3-1 victory at Stoke City.

Stoke tried to pepper the Magpies box with their direct approach, but found it difficult to whip in crosses because of Newcastle’s defensive qualities.

And while Taylor and the rest of the back four deserved praise for the way in which they kept Peter Crouch, Jon Walters and Kenwyne Jones quiet, he was also keen to acknowledge the rest of the team’s battling qualities.

Gutierrez and Obertan epitomised that spirit by sticking to the game plan and getting through an enormous amount of work to help out full-backs Ryan Taylor and Danny Simpson as wingers Jermaine Pennant and Matthew Etherington struggled to influence the game.

“The stats show that we are all working harder than we have in previous years,” said Taylor, who made more clearances than any of his Newcastle team-mates at Stoke.

“With or without the ball we get through a lot of work. We try to get the ball back as quickly as possible.

“I would imagine Jonas, for example, would have got through about 15 or 16km at Stoke – he was unbelievable.

He was non-stop, but even in training he has a phenomenal work-ethic. Obertan on the other wing works extremely hard as well.

“The players we have got just never stop running. They just keep going and going and going. I would like to compare them to a Duracell battery because I think a Duracell battery would conk out before those two.

“The wingers were a massive part for us at Stoke. Jonas and Obertan were on fire, but everyone works hard. From the forwards all the way back.”

As the games tick by, and Newcastle stay unbeaten in the Premier League, the respect across the country grows. Alan Pardew, the Newcastle boss, has got his team organised, well disciplined and capable of capitalising when they press.

Stoke enjoyed the greater share of possession at the Britannia Stadium on Monday, but Newcastle’s resilience paved the way for Demba Ba to grab a hat-trick.

After ten games Newcastle have dropped just eight points and sit a point behind second placed Manchester United ahead of Everton’s lunchtime visit to St James’ Park this Saturday.

“We are not doing too badly,” said Taylor, ahead of December fixtures against Man City, Man United and Chelsea. “We just have to make sure it continues. It was hard at Stoke because you don’t just have to deal with the long balls, you also have to deal with a lot of second balls.

But I think we controlled it for long periods.

“Not many teams will go to Stoke and get the result we did. I think Arsenal were the team who last knocked three goals past them – that says a lot about our performance.

“It’s nice to have gone there and got a win. We can’t get carried away. We have got lucky in a couple of games, we will probably be doubted in the games ahead, but we just have to keep going. That’s always happened for as long as I have played for Newcastle.”

􀁧 Newcastle reserves strengthened their position at the top of the Premier Reserve League North table with a 2-0 win at Wigan yesterday afternoon.

A second string including the likes of Alan Smith, Tamas Kadar, Haris Vuckic and Sammy Ameobi maintained the club’s unbeaten start to the reserve season.

Vuckic scored in the 29th minute, drilling home a low strike from the edge of the area.

Mehdi Abeid then doubled Newcastle’s lead with 19 minutes left, thumping home from long range via the underside of the crossbar.

NEWCASTLE RESERVES: Elliot, Nzuzi, Folan, Richardson, Kadar, Sammy Ameobi, Smith, Abeid, Inman, Vuckic, Taylor (Moyo 70).