OMENS just don't come any more powerful. When European Dream romped to victory minutes before kick-off, Wanderers had a feeling this was going to be their lucky day.

The six-lengths winner of the second race at Newcastle was, after all, the horse Sam Allardyce and a handful of his players bought two summers ago to celebrate qualifying for the UEFA Cup.

So news of the 12-1 shot's fourth career win on its favourite Tyneside course not only made the punters in the home dressing room a handsome profit but also put them in the mood to get their own European dream back on track.

And while the victory over Sheffield United was somewhat less convincing than the six-lengths distance by which their four-legged friend won the William Hill Spring Mile, it was, nevertheless, a priceless and thoroughly-deserved three-pointer.

They needed a late goal from Kevin Davies - one of four players in the racing syndicate - to end a nightmare run that was threatening to wreck any hope they had of qualifying for Europe a second time. But they did more than enough to give them the confidence to go on and get the necessary points from their seven remaining games to secure a top six finish.

"We bought European Dream after getting into Europe for the first time," said a delighted Allardyce, who backed the winner at odds of 16-1. "We had realised our dream . . . and it worked out well for us on Saturday.

"I watched it on the telly and it started a great day for us. Then Kevin finished it off with a terrific goal for a well-deserved 1-0 win that has gone a long way to sustaining our challenge for the UEFA Cup once more. A crucial victory and a boost of confidence throughout the team."

Such a boost, in fact, that the excitable El-Hadji Diouf is convinced that maximum points over Easter - at Wigan on Saturday and home to Everton next Monday - could even put them back in contention for a Champions League place.

Others are sticking to more conservative predictions.

A single goal victory against a Sheffield United side that was left just one point clear of the drop zone is no reason to get too carried away.

There are still flaws, highlighted by the fact that it took them so long to break the resistance of stubborn visitors, and three tough trips to London - Arsenal, Chelsea and West Ham - among the remaining fixtures means they still face a severe test of their credentials.

But, for the first time in well over a month, Wanderers played with a belief and, more importantly, with smiles on their faces.

Even as the clock ran down and the chances went begging, there were no signs of anxiety, despite the importance of the fixture.

They had their scares and Jussi Jaaskelainen had to stretch to make two crucial saves before his long clearance led to Nicolas Anelka paving the way for Davies to break the deadlock with a stunning right footer from just outside the box. Nevertheless, they produced a patient, positive performance to erase many of the doubts that were raised by successive demoralising defeats by Spurs, Blackburn and Manchester United.

Defensively they were much more solid with Abdoulaye Faye doing an important job in the midfield anchor role in place of the suspended Ivan Campo. They followed instructions, blunting the Blades who meant business with a high-tempo start before getting a grip and producing a succession of scoring chances that brought the best out of Warnock's warriors and, in particular, goalkeeper Paddy Kenny.

Most important of all, however, is that Davies is back. For four seasons, the striker whose strength was honed in Sheffield has been a pivotal figure, a major player whose importance to the team and the way they play can never be under-estimated. And, even though he is still short of the fitness levels he was at before he broke his foot in the FA Cup tie at Arsenal in January, his contribution proved beyond doubt that his six-match absence was a major factor in the slump that almost reached panic proportions.

His ability to un-nerve and unsettle defenders, the ever-available target for the long balls and set-plays that are such an important feature when Wanderers are on top of their game, gave Diouf and Anelka greater scope and it was no surprise to see the pair perform with more purpose and much greater effect than of late.

Diouf brought the second of two spectacular saves out of Kenny, just as Wanderers were starting to turn the screw in the first half. Moments earlier, the Irishman had launched himself to prevent Nicky Hunt's sensational 35-yard volley spearing into the top corner.

Kenny's goal continued to lead a charmed life in the second half, when the Whites' frustrations were summed up by Anelka laughing at his own misfortune when a close-range effort bobbled past the outside of the post.

"I just don't know how I missed the goal," said the Frenchman - not only the game's most entertaining individual but also one of the hardest workers.

"But I knew we would score. You have to be patient when you play teams like that. Even though we missed chances, we knew we would score.

"It was just a matter of time."

Davies - a Blades fanatic until they rejected him as a 15-year-old - thought he'd made the breakthrough until Kenny hacked his back-heel off the line, but he eventually succeeded when he blasted Wanderers through the 300 Premiership point mark under Allardyce's management.

Now, having been in the doldrums for so long, there is new hope that they can, after all, secure the top six finish that would guarantee the UEFA Cup place that looked a racing cert at the start of the year.

"We all really want that European spot and I think this has pushed us a long way towards that," Davies said, belatedly celebrating his 30th birthday with his first goal since December.

"There's a lot of confidence now. It might have only been a 1-0 win but this was always going to be a 1-0 game; that's what was up on the board in the dressing room before the game.

"It's a massive win. We're up to 50 points now and that's important.

"We've been stuck in the 40s for a while and teams behind us have been creeping up. If we hadn't got anything from the game, it would have been difficult for us, confidence-wise, but we're still up there and holding onto that fifth spot.

"We have some big games coming up, winnable games and this has given everybody a massive lift to go on and do well for the rest of the season."