West Bromwich Albion 0-2 Newcastle United

Newcastle forward Perez has now scored in his last three league matches

Newcastle moved up to eighth in the Premier League with a comfortable win over West Brom, thanks to goals from Ayoze Perez and Fabricio Coloccini.

Perez opened the scoring on the stroke of half-time with a sublime backheel from 12 yards out.

The game was ended as a contest on 62 minutes when an unmarked Coloccini headed in at the far post.

The hosts went close through Saido Berahino in the first half, but faded dramatically in the second.

Newcastle have now won four successive league games for the first time since November 2013, and Alan Pardew's well-organised side suddenly look capable of challenging for a top-eight finish.

They got their tactics spot on against the Baggies as they mixed controlled possession with an ability to press their hosts whenever they did have periods without the ball.

And, perhaps more importantly, they appear to have found a natural finisher in 21-year-old Perez.

Signed from Tenerife for £1.5m in the summer, Perez's goals have played a significant part in Newcastle's recovery from a poor start to the season in which they took until 18 October to register their first win, against Leicester.

Since then, they have also beaten Tottenham and Liverpool, either side of knocking holders Manchester City out of the League Cup - Perez netting the winner against both Spurs and the Reds.

His instinctive finish at The Hawthorns came at the end of a scrappy first half, which the Baggies possibly edged.

After Newcastle's Sammy Ameobi had hit the bar from the edge of the area after 10 minutes, Victor Anichebe and Saido Berahino began to link up well and the latter brought a good save out of Tim Krul with a snap-shot.

As well as Anichebe and Berahino linked up however, they were not afforded enough support from their midfield players and that enabled Newcastle to cope with any sustained pressure.

Newcastle took the lead just before the break when Perez showed the finishing prowess of a seasoned striker to flick the ball past Ben Foster from Daryl Janmaat's cross.

Dutch full-back Janmaat also created the second when a corner was only partially cleared and he delivered a beautiful ball to the back post where Coloccini met it with a thumping header.

West Brom never truly threatened to break down Newcastle in the final half hour, and the visitors almost made their victory margin even more handsome when Perez had a superb volley tipped over by Foster after a good cross from the returning Ryan Taylor.

West Brom manager Alan Irvine:

"I've got complaints about how we played but the result was fair enough. It could have gone either way for a while. Newcastle started well, then we had a good spell and looked to be doing OK but the goal just before half-time put a different complexion on the mood in the two dressing rooms.

"When the second went in, it was a long way back for us. We knew it would be difficult - Newcastle make it hard for teams to create chances.

"We knew we needed good movement but we didn't have enough of that. It was the first game in which the players have not performed to the levels they have shown. Nobody goes out to play poorly but it just didn't happen for us today and now we have to look for the reasons why."

Newcastle manager Alan Pardew:

"It was a very disciplined, strong performance which was highlighted by an outstanding goal from Ayoze Perez. You need special moments like that in the Premier League.

"That type of goal, you usually take the pace off the cross and guide it in but he actually added pace to it. Ayoze struggled with the physicality of Joleon Lescott and Craig Dawson today but he'll get better as we go on.

"We were a bit frustrated that we had not played as well as we could offensively in the first half, but the team is well balanced. We have good width and our system is proving difficult for the opposition."

Fabricio Coloccini scored for the first time since netting against Nottingham Forest in September, 2011

Newcastle have won their last four Premier League games, after winning one of the preceding 15 matches

Saido Berahino registered just one shot on target

Before the game, both managers laid wreaths to mark Remembrance Sunday