Ritchie strike sends Newcastle clear

– A Matt Ritchie (right) goal gave Newcastle a 1-0 win over Derby and sent them to the top of the Championship table on Saturday to bring some joy to the club after a stressful week.

Ritchie’s goal against a club led by former Newcastle boss Steve McClaren saw the Magpies go two points clear of Brighton.

It gave manager Rafael Benitez something to be chipper about after a week where he complained about not being able to invest in new players in the January transfer window despite spending £55 million – a fortune compared to his rivals – in the summer.

Media reports suggested controversial owner Mike Ashley has not been happy with results and although he attended two matches last month he pointedly did not speak with Benitez.

The 56-year-old Spaniard -who stuck with the club despite their relegation from the Premier League last term -- struck a more upbeat tone after securing victory over a Derby side who are three points off the play-off places.

“It’s important to get three points, I think we were really unlucky the other day (in the 2-2 draw with QPR) with an own goal in the last minute,” Benitez told the BBC.

“Today we deserved more, but in the end we got the three points.

“Everybody was working very hard together – fans, players, everyone.” – AFP