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.
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