ALAN Pardew declared a "minor triumph" from Newcastle United's first defeat of the Premier League season, and praised the fringe players who helped bring it about.

The Magpies were beaten 3-1 at Manchester City on Saturday, leaving the hosts as the only team still to lose in this season’s top-flight.

But manager Pardew saw plenty of positives in the way Roberto Mancini’s men were made to work so hard for it, and claimed that his team could emerge stronger for the experience.

With Cheick Tioté, Leon Best, Gabriel Obertan and Sylvain Marveaux injured, Newcastle had one player making his full debut in Sammy Ameobi and another, Hatem Ben Arfa, enjoying his first start since a double leg break at Eastlands 13 months earlier.

Although it paled into comparison with City – who boasted David Silva, Edin Dzeko and Adam Johnson on the bench – it illustrated previously untapped depths in Pardew’s squad.

“We were without four but my squad is definitely deeper than last year without a shadow of doubt,” he reflected. “Sammy Ameobi would have got great confidence from some of the embarrassing moments he caused (Gaël) Clichy. He did brilliant.

“We had Haris (Vuckic) and Mehdi (Abeid) not involved so we are strong enough to cope with a strong season, and that is what we hope to have.”

Having kept out hosts who scored 39 goals in their previous 11 league games for 41 minutes, Newcastle conceded twice before half-time.

It could have been the platform for an embarrassing scoreline.

But either side of Sergio Agüero’s 71st-minute penalty which had put City 3-0 up, United hit the post

through Ben Arfa and substitute Dan Gosling scored his maiden goal for the club. “It’s almost a minor triumph to keep them to within two goals,” a proud Pardew admitted. “We were at full tilt. Colo (Fabricio Coloccini) had problems, (Ryan) Taylor had problems, Danny Simpson had problems which we have not had in other games.

“Throughout the game questions were being asked of us, real tough questions. It was a great performance by us simply to be in the game.

“I would be surprised if we haven’t worked harder than we have worked all season. I would expect (the statistics) to show the players had to up their workrate just to compete with City. We can take confidence that we were level for 40 minutes and then matched them in the second half.

“You can get negative on yourself but you could see in the dressing room, there is genuine belief and in the second half we were hunting for that next goal, we knew it would be crucial and if we had got it, suddenly it could have been very different.”

On Ben Arfa’s return, Pardew said: “Yes, he did some great stuff up front for us but look at his work at the other end.

“He works really, really hard and I said to him, ‘Coming into this team, the one thing the other players are wanting to see from you is energy,’ because that is what we have had all year.

“Every player who has come in has given me energy and he did give me that, and extra quality.

“Hopefully he can take us forward. Actually coming out of this game when we get everyone back, we could be a stronger side.”

City knew they had been in a game and defender Joleon Lescott said: “We knew it was going to be a very difficult game because Newcastle were the best defence and unbeaten as well, so we knew we had to be patient.”