Alan Pardew was left lamenting “a cruel blow” for Newcastle after Swansea’s Wilfred Bony converted an injury-time penalty to condemn Newcastle to their fifth straight Premier League defeat — an unwanted club record.

The defeat also left Pardew in danger of finishing outside the top half of the table.

“I think it’s important we win at least one of those last three games to secure that,” said Pardew, a tall order given they have to travel to both Arsenal and Liverpool.

It had started well for the home side when they took the lead on 23 minutes through some old-fashioned route-one football.

Shola Ameobi flicked Tim Krul’s long free kick on to Luuk De Jong who played a return ball which Ameobi was able to drag past Michel Vorm. Not pretty, but effective.

The lead did no last beyond the end of the half as Bony was able to shrug off the attention of Mike Williamson to power home Ben Davies’ corner and equalise in stoppage time.

“We started pretty well and then they got the goal,” said Swansea boss Garry Monk.

“Then they go the goal and that affected us but we got the equaliser at the right time.”

It was Monk’s introduction of Marvin Emnes, on loan from Middlesbrough, with nine minutes to play that proved decisive in the end.

His energy was too much for Newcastle and caused them instant problems finding Bony in the box with a deft touch, but the Ivorian could not find a way past Krul.

Then in injury time, Emnes surged into the Newcastle area and was brought to the ground by a desperate lunge from Cheik Tiote. Bony stepped up to the spot and made no mistake.