RAFAEL Benitez wants to emulate Kevin Keegan's Newcastle United as the Magpies close in on a club record.

Newcastle chalked up their 11th away win of the season on Saturday when they beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-0 to go a point clear at the top of the Championship.

That is just two victories away from the marker set by Keegan's flamboyant Entertainers who romped to the second-tier title in 1992-93.

The Spaniard will be hoping the Geordies can go within one win of that record when he takes his side to Norwich City tomorrow night.

Keegan's outfit of a generation ago scored 92 goals in their 46 games and Benitez wants to emulate the scoring rate of the Geordies team of 24 years ago.

Newcastle have already rattled in 58 goals in 30 matches, three more than their nearest rivals for the tag who they play tomorrow evening, but their record of only conceding eight in 15 trips is arguably even more impressive.

“We are top scorers in the league so we are not thinking about winning 1-0,” said Benitez. “We want to have clean sheets if possible but at the same time we want to score goals.

“On Saturday we had to give credit to our players because they defended well.”

But for now he is only focusing on maintaining the form that has seen Newcastle clinch back-to-back victories without conceding.

“I didn't know and I am not thinking about the record. I am thinking about winning as much as we can to make sure we can go up,” said Benitez.

“Everyone understands it is important to work as a team. When we do that, it is not easy for any team to break us down.

“The mentality of the team, the confidence we have, and the way we are defending, is excellent.”

Newcastle captain Jamaal Lascelles believes they can easily eclipse Keegan's record.

“We are going to aim much higher than that (the 13 wins),” he said. “It's a good record but we've got to improve our home form as well.

“It's a target to look towards, but with this team, we approach every game to win and get three points.

“We've still got a lot of hard work to do but we are in a good position and a few results fell our way on Saturday.”

Their latest success was tinged with controversy however as Wolves claimed matchwinner Aleksandar Mitrovic shouldn't have been on the pitch when he scored the decisive goal a minute before the break.

Mitrovic's sixth club goal of the season came after he had been booked by referee Craig Pawson, who then allowed a studs-up lunge that caught the leg of Wolves goalkeeper Carl Ikeme to go unpunished.

Benitez took Mitrovic off at half-time, perhaps sensibly as he was walking a disciplinary tightrope.

Wolves manager Paul Lambert also claimed the goal shouldn't have been allowed because Lascelles, who passed to Mitrovic after Mohamed Diame had flicked on, was offside when Jonjo Shelvey's free kick was taken.

Benitez refused to comment on whether the Serbia international should have been dismissed however, instead pointing to a mystery penalty he claimed Mitrovic should have had.

“We were complaining about the penalty not given. From this it went to a yellow card and after then he (referee) was under pressure,” said Benitez.

“In the end we were pleased he scored the winning goal and pleased because he worked so hard.”

Lambert believes Mitrovic could have been sent for an early bath.

“I know from being an ex-player, when you have been yellow carded and you raise your studs, you are in danger,” he said.

“I think maybe Rafa realised it and took him off at half-time. He's been in the game longer than I have on the management side but I also know I have been involved in big games and I know when you raise your studs you are in trouble.

“For the goal, the lad was offside. So they made two big moments.”

Newcastle were content to sit back and soak up the pressure and hit Wolves on the break.

Jonjo Shelvey, who was abused throughout after being banned for five matches for racially abusing Wolves midfielder Romain Saiss the last time the clubs met in the Championship in September, set up Jack Colback, but he missed a one-on-one chance in the third minute.

But the hosts had the more opportunities. Nouha Dicko volleyed inches wide and Richard Stearman stabbed off target in the first half, before Dave Edwards's header brushed the sidenetting four minutes after the break.

Ultimately however, they had no answer to Mitrovic's strike.