NEWCASTLE UNITED will attempt to reclaim top spot in the Championship tonight, with Jack Colback admitting their promotion rivals’ form is becoming “irritating”.

The Magpies host Aston Villa knowing they need to win to leap back above Brighton, who moved to the summit when they claimed an impressive 2-0 win at Barnsley at the weekend.

That was Chris Hughton’s side’s ninth win in their last 13 league games, and while Newcastle have been on an excellent recent run themselves, they have been unable to shake off their closest rivals.

The teams beneath the top two are also keeping up the pressure, and while Leeds United stuttered slightly when they drew 1-1 at Ipswich Town on Saturday, Sheffield Wednesday closed to within eight points of Newcastle as they won 2-1 at Nottingham Forest.

“It’s getting irritating now, actually,” said Colback, whose importance at the heart of the Newcastle midfield increased earlier this week when Isaac Hayden underwent an ankle operation that will keep him out of action for up to a month. “They (Newcastle’s promotion rivals) are part of the competition, so of course you’re going to have a look at the other results after games.

“We obviously focus on ourselves first, and we know that we’ve put ourselves in a position where if we keep winning games or stay unbeaten and are consistent, then we’ll go up. So we will focus on that, first and foremost.

“But the gap to third and fourth was a bit more healthy a while ago, and the other teams have closed that gap. Credit to them because they keep winning games, but we’ve got to play everyone around us. Again, that just shows that it’s in our hands.”

As well as battling against their rivals at the top of the table, Newcastle’s players are also having to deal with a level of expectation that had them marked down as promotion certainties before a ball was even kicked.

Tonight’s opponents, Aston Villa, have struggled to deal with the drop into the Championship, and currently find themselves just six points above the relegation zone despite boasting a large number of players with extensive Premier League experience.

Norwich, the other team to be relegated last season, have fared slightly better, but still find themselves outside the play-off places after losing at Burton at the weekend.

Newcastle have successfully put last season’s disappointments behind them, and Colback cites the strength of collective character within the dressing room, and the shared desire to make amends for the pain of relegation, as key factors behind the Magpies’ success.

“I think we’ve been consistent,” he said. “We’ve obviously had setbacks, but we’ve always reacted to them well. We’ve never really suffered many consecutive defeats or had a spell where we’ve not won a game for a while.

“It’s probably never been longer than two or three games maximum – Villa and Norwich have been through longer spells when they have not won a game.

“We’ve got a strong squad in terms of characters here. We are all pulling in the same direction, and all want the same thing, and that is to be promoted. We know we have to react to setbacks to do that.

“Those of us who were here last season want to put that right because no one wants a relegation on their CV. If that happens, the least you can do is fight as hard as you can to put that right.”

This evening’s game will pit Colback against the manager who was integral to kick-starting his career at Sunderland, Steve Bruce.

Bruce gave Colback his senior Sunderland debut at Wolves – the midfielder was sent off as his side lost 2-1 – and then recalled him from a loan spell at Ipswich in the following campaign in order to thrust him into the Black Cats’ Premier League line-up.

Bruce has struggled since replacing Roberto Di Matteo at Villa Park, but Colback is confident he will succeed in his current role provided he is given sufficient time.

“He is a very experienced manager,” he said. “I had a positive season with Steve when I first got involved. I first came in towards the second half of the season when we finished tenth. I found him easy to work with, and his ideas were easy to understand.

“He was good to be around because he knew how to make players feel good. He also knew when to be a bit tough. It feels like a lifetime ago though because I’ve had two kids since then!”

Colback will partner Jonjo Shelvey at the heart of midfield this evening, with Rafael Benitez set to hand Dwight Gayle his first start since the middle of January.

Gayle was a second-half substitute in last week’s 2-2 draw at Norwich, and while Daryl Murphy and Aleksandar Mitrovic have deputised reasonably successfully in his absence, Newcastle will be boosted by the return of their leading goalscorer.

“We were winning without him, and that was important,” said Benitez. “But were we missing a clinical finisher? Yes. Were we missing a player with pace and good movement? Yes.

“The others were doing a good job – Murphy and Mitrovic have been great – but he is a different kind of striker who gives you the opportunity to change things during the games.”

Newcastle (probable, 4-2-3-1): Darlow; Yedlin, Lascelles, Clark, Dummett; Colback, Shelvey; Ritchie, Diame, Gouffran; Gayle.