Nigel Pearson: "Whatever happens this season I can guarantee John Carver will have done everything in his power to make sure things are right for Newcastle United. He is a pretty selfless man.
"We have a more realistic chance than we did before we kicked off today. Newcastle are having a difficult time but they have still got one more point than us at the moment.
"Momentum is important but off the back of a defeat in midweek - had we not got this result, then again (you can find) things can change quickly. We have given ourselves a better chance.
"The result is the most important thing but the performance I thought was very good."
Pearson himself has had a difficult week after putting himself in the spotlight with his bizarre 'ostrich' confrontation with a journalist following the Chelsea loss on Wednesday.
He later apologised but a further exchange with a different reporter on Thursday kept the matter in the news.
He said: "If I make an apology, I make an apology based on what I think is the right thing to do. There is no smoke and mirrors on that.
"What I do and what I am is what I am and I have to live with that, and I don't necessarily want to change.
"But we all learn from what we do, good and bad. I don't see too much mileage in going much further with that.
"It was important to get back to winning ways today. Anything else, side issue-wise, is not really as significant."