Loic Remy breathed a sigh of relief as Newcastle United ended a winless streak at St James' Park on Sunday.
The Frenchman returned from suspension to score an injury-time winner as the Magpies saluted 1-0 over Aston Villa making it their first win in the league since January 18.
The victory also marked a first triumph in six matches at home prompting Remy to heap praise on his teammates for fighting until the end.
"We are very relieved tonight because I think the last few games have been difficult for us," he told Sky Sports 1.
"We've lost some important players like (Yohan) Cabaye and we've got so many injured as well so for us it was important to win today because all the confidence is good to win.
"Even at home, the fans are expecting a lot from us so now we are very happy and I think the team has found a good spirit which is good for the end of the season."
Remy added that he was delighted to have played such a big part in the win after letting his Toon teammates down when suspended.
"I was very hungry because I missed three games and had to leave my team-mates," he added.
"For me I was very concentrated to the maximum and I wanted to score as a striker. That's why I'm very happy. I missed some good opportunities and before the next game I will look at this."
Remy, who is on a season-long loan from QPR, has now scored 12 league goals in 22 appearances for Newcastle.
