Newcastle suffer an unwanted four in a row as Watford find it all too three-sy on Tyneside

The Magpies, desperate for a lift after dropping down the Premier League table in recent weeks, struggled to match the energy levels of the Hornets and were made to pay for it.

The game was effectively over as a contest before half-time because Newcastle, who have only scored once during their poor run, had already fallen two behind and never looked like getting back into it.

The first arrived in the 19th minute when Will Hughes side-footed beyond goalkeeper Rob Elliot and the second came along deep into first half stoppage-time when DeAndre Yedlin turned Marvin Zeegelaar’s cross into his own net.

The third was in the 62nd minute when former Burnley man Andre Gray, who interested Newcastle in the summer, pounced in the penalty area to convert a cross to the back post. All three goals had stemmed from poor marking down the left wing.

While Watford, whose manager Silva remains the man Everton want to lead them, were well organised and dangerous whenever they moved forward, Newcastle looked like a team struggling for confidence in the final third.

Had either Joselu, who wasted a good early chance from inside eight yards after some neat play from Jacob Murphy, or Matt Ritchie, who found the side-netting from 20 yards, put Newcastle into the lead inside ten minutes then things would have turned out differently.

But Watford stuck to the game-plan and capitalised, mainly courtesy of some slack marking down Newcastle’s right-hand side and an inability to keep an eye on Zeegelaar.

The wing-back was picked out by Christian Kabasele’s diagonal pass in the build up to the opener. Zeegelaar chested that down and rolled a pass into the path of Hughes to finish from 18 yards.

Newcastle, who had also seen Abdoulaye Doucoure sidefoot a volley wide at the back post and Joselu miss the target from a tight angle, fell further behind when the half-time whistle was moments away.

This time Richarlison rolled Zeegelaar in down the left where Ritchie and Yedlin had afforded him too much space and when he centred the ball deflected off Yedlin and beat Elliot.

Rafa Benitez resisted making changes at the break and Watford ought to have added a third earlier than they actually did. Gray, a former Newcastle target, woefully directed a left foot shot wide after being played in behind Yedlin.

Gray did get his goal, though. When Richarlison was allowed the time and space down Newcastle’s right, again, he spotted the striker running in and his curling delivery was perfect to turn over the line.

By the time Aleksandar Mitrovic and Mikel Merino were introduced with a little over 20 minutes remaining the game had already been lost. The final stages were played more like a friendly, with Newcastle accepting their fate.

Mitrovic had a couple of half chances to reduce the arrears, although Gray could easily have added a fourth had he not wasted another fantastic chance. This was a day to forget for Benitez and Newcastle.

NEWCASTLE UNITED (4-4-2): Elliot; Yedlin, Clark, Lejeune, Manquillo; Ritchie, Diame (Merino 69), Shelvey, Murphy (Perez 73); Joselu (Mitrovic 69), Gayle. Subs (not used): Darlow (gk), Gamez, Mbemba.

WATFORD (5-4-1): Gomes; Kiko , Mariappa, Kabasele, Britos (Prodl 52), Zeegelaar; Cleverley, Doucoure, Richarlison (Pereyra 79), Hughes (Carrillo 83); Gray. Subs (not sued): Janmaat, Watson, Capoue, Karnezis (gk).