BRENTFORD (5-3-2):
Bentley 6; Colin 5, Egan 5 (Hofmann 87), Dean 6, Bjelland 6, Field 5; Yennaris 6, Woods 7, McEachran 7 (Jota 80); Sawyers 6 (Clarke 90), VIBE 8.
Subs (not used): Bonham (gk), Barbet, Kerschbaumer, Hogan.
NEWCASTLE (4-2-3-1):
8 DARLOW: Made a string of important saves, most notably in stoppage time from Jota, and claimed a series of crosses under intense pressure
6 Yedlin: Came under a fair bit of pressure in the latter stages, but was solid throughout and got forward effectively
6 Lascelles: Vibe caused him problems in the first half, but he led by example with a succession of crucial late blocks
7 Clark: Was generally the most composed of Newcastle’s defenders and tended to dominate in the air
6 Dummett: Defended resolutely as Brentford turned up the pressure, but his distribution continues to let him down
7 Hayden: Was becoming an increasingly influential figure before a groin injury forced him off shortly after the hour mark
6 Colback: Wasn’t able to shut down Brentford’s attacking midfielders, but never stopped running and throwing himself into tackles
6 Ritchie: Not one of his most influential performances, but still posed a threat down the right-hand side
8 Perez: Set up both of his side’s goals courtesy of a slide-rule pass for Gayle and a sensational left-wing cross for Murphy
6 Gouffran: Was always a factor down the left-hand side with his drive and energy putting his opponent on the back foot
8 Gayle: Claimed his 20th goal of the season with a rocket of a shot, but only lasted 28 minutes before a hamstring injury struck
Subs:
7 Murphy (for Gayle, 28): Did what he does best – stealing in front of his marker and producing an inch-perfect header to win the game for Newcastle
5 Anita (for Hayden, 62): Was only on the pitch for eight minutes before a serious ankle injury left him needing a stretcher
6 Hanley (for Anita, 70): Came on to shore things up in the final 20 minutes, and won a number of key headers
(not used): Sels (gk), Lazaar, Sterry, Ameobi.
Man Of The Match: KARL DARLOW – Of all the decisions Rafael Benitez has made this season, replacing Matz Sels with Darlow was the easiest, and probably the most important.
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