BLACKBURN (4-4-1-1):

STEELE 8; Nyambe 6 (Evans 64, 6), Greer 6, Mulgrew 7, Williams 6; Feeney 6, Akpan 5, Lowe 6, Conway 5 (Gallagher 43, 5); Emnes 5 (Brown 90); Graham 6.

Subs (not used): Raya (gk), Stokes, Mahoney, Bennett


NEWCASTLE (4-4-1-1):

6 Darlow: Barely broke sweat in the first half but may be disappointed with Mulgrew’s free-kick

6 Anita: Tried to get forward but was quieter than usual all day

6 Lascelles: Was his usual strong self but did nothing out of the ordinary

7 Clark: Was unlucky to find Steele in superb form in second half. Ran his socks off

6 Dummett: Solid but unspectacular - nobody can complain about his work-rate or desire 

7 Ritchie: Great tackle on Conway denied Blackburn early on and he worked hard

8 HAYDEN: Becoming increasingly important and effective - never stopped trying to break Blackburn down

6 Colback: Tried to get things going for the Magpies from midfield and was partially successful

7 Gouffran: Showed desire and intelligence and tried to involve Gayle in everything.

7 Diame: Pace, passion, vision and inches away from a 30-yard wonder-strike. How are Newcastle going to cope in his absence?

7 Gayle: A tough afternoon that saw him miss one fine chance and saw another disallowed. His effort could not be faulted.


Subs:

Perez (for Colback, 77)

Atsu (for Gouffran, 85)

Murphy (for Anita, 87)

(not used):Sels (gk), Yedlin, Lazaar, Mbemba.


Man Of The Match: ISAAC HAYDEN – He will have more productive afternoons, but he was the heart and soul of Newcastle’s efforts.