RAFAEL BENITEZ is hoping Newcastle United’s remarkable comeback win over Norwich City acts as a spark to ignite the remainder of the club’s season.

On an unforgettable night at St James’ Park, Newcastle scored two stoppage-time goals to turn what had looked a certain defeat into a sensational victory.

Trailing 3-2 as the clock ticked into the 94th minute, the Magpies levelled when Yoan Gouffran glanced home DeAndre Yedlin’s right-wing cross.

That was dramatic enough, but even better was to follow as Dwight Gayle latched onto Aleksandar Mitrovic’s knock-down two minutes later before drilling into the net to complete his hat-trick.

The 4-3 victory took Newcastle’s players back to within three points of league leaders Huddersfield Town, but it was the never-say-die attitude of their stirring revival that most pleased their manager.

“You never know how important this could be,” said Benitez, who had earlier seen Gayle’s first two goals sandwich strikes from Graham Dorrans, Cameron Jerome and Jacob Murphy. “It is still early, but if you win and you win in this way, it is a boost for everyone.

“You have to give credit for the players because their work rate and spirit – everything you are looking for – you could see today. You could see all of those things.

“If we had drawn, fine. But if you win, it is even better. These kind of results are good for the team spirit. They are good for the players and the staff, but especially for the fans.

“It’s important to show that the team is there and together. If everything is fine, it is easy. But if something is wrong, we have to stick together. That will be really important for us for the future.”

Benitez has experienced some remarkable nights in his managerial career, most notably when his Liverpool side clawed back a three-goal deficit in Istanbul before going on to lift the Champions League trophy.

Last night’s victory was nowhere near as significant, but it follows in a cherished tradition of Newcastle being involved in dramatic encounters.

There were the two 4-3 defeats to Liverpool that did so much to define Newcastle’s fortunes in the mid-1990s, not to mention the four-goal comeback that secured a 4-4 draw with Arsenal under Alan Pardew.

Last night’s game was every bit as dramatic, and Gayle’s winner sparked some emotional scenes, with Newcastle’s entire backroom staff pouring on to the field to celebrate with the players.

“I celebrated a little bit,” said Benitez. “Normally I am fairly calm, but I was celebrating in the middle of the pitch with the players and fans.

“I try to stay calm because I know there are still a lot of months to play, and we still have to improve little things we need to improve. I was there. I was not jumping, but I was there in the middle.

“I am the kind of manager who gets excited inside. When I see the team reacting, I am really proud of them. Some people will jump or run, I am happy inside.

“It is something that is difficult to achieve when you have a group of players who have to really come through in these circumstances. They are working so hard and doing so well.”

Benitez reserved special praise for Gayle, who shrugged off the disappointment of missing three early chances to claim the first hat-trick of his Newcastle career.

The striker had also missed two gilt-edged chances in Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Aston Villa, but Benitez was always confident he would come good.

“I said the other day that against Aston Villa, he had one or two clear chances and things could have been different,” he said. “Every striker will have those situations, and I will always try to give confidence to a striker as long as he continues working.

“It is not just about scoring goals. He has been working hard, he had chances in the first half, and then his goals came in the second half. I am really pleased for him, and really pleased for the team.”

Norwich boss Alex Neill was rather more despondent, having also watched his side crash to an embarrassing 6-2 defeat on Tyneside last season.

“It’s a strange place for me,” said Neill. “Two of the most bizarre games I’ve ever been involved in have happened here.

“We got ourselves in a great position, but then conceded a goal straight after our third. Then, we had 90 seconds to see the game out. It was 3-2 with 90 seconds left, but we couldn’t defend out box well enough, it’s as simple as that.”