Goals:

1-0: Joselu (5, side footed Gayle’s pass across the area hard and low into the net from ten yards)

1-1: Mahrez (20, gained possession from sloppy Merino and then his shot was only helped in by Darlow to his left)

1-2: Gray (60, controlled Albrighton’s cushioned volley before his strike deflected off Lejeune and found the top corner)

2-2: Gayle (73, cut inside after Merino’s headed pass and his low shot deflected off Maguire to find the net)

2-3: Perez OG (86, poked a finish into his own net as he attempted to stop Okazaki scoring)

Bookings: Gray (12, foul); Hayden (75, foul); Lejeune (81, foul)

Sending-off: None

Referee: Neil Swarbrick (Preston) – could have given a couple of penalties but correctly decided not to. 7

Attendance: 52,117

Entertainment: ***

Newc Leic

Shots on 4 5

Shots off 6 8

Corners 6 5

Offsides 2 3

Fouls 10 9

NEWCASTLE UNITED (4-4-2):

4 Darlow: Came close to conceding a few in the first half and then ended up conceding three anyway after being partly to blame for the opener;

5 Yedlin: Made a fantastic challenge to stop Vardy from scoring but still had his weaknesses exposed

6 Clark: Not the man to blame on this occasion but hardly brilliant either

5 Lejeune: Had a decent afternoon until late on when he helped Gray’s effort in and got nowhere near the winner

4 Manquillo: There was a moment in the second half when he couldn’t clear his line with either of his two attempts;

5 Ritchie: Sent over plenty of deliveries without ever really finding the peak of his powers

5 Hayden: Didn’t influence things in the middle anywhere near enough as much as he would like

4 Merino: Wasted possession before Leicester scored their opener through Mahrez

6 Murphy: Tried to get involved down the flank but lacked a cutting edge;

7 JOSELU: Decent enough game and grabbed his first goal in more than two months

7 Gayle: Nice assist for Joselu and grabbed the equaliser too after a lively display

Subs:

Atsu (for Ritchie 64): Helped spark Newcastle back to life. 5

Perez (for Murphy 71)

Mitrovic (for Joselu 89)

(not used): Elliot (gk), Lascelles, Shelvey, Diame.

LEICESTER CITY (4-4-1-1): Schmeichel 6; Simpson 7, Morgan 6, Maguire 5, Chilwell 7; MAHREZ 8 (Fuchs 87), Iborra 7, Ndidi 6, Albrighton7; Gray 8 (Okazaki 73); Vardy 6 (Ulloa 89). Subs (not used): Iheanacho, King, Hamer (gk), Dragovic.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Riyad Mahrez – had the sort of impact that Newcastle are crying out for along with Gray.