Matt finish fires Rafa boys back to the top
NEWCASTLE moved back to the top of the Championship with an emphatic rout of rock-bottom Rotherham.
After Brighton beat Sheffield Wednesday on Friday night, Rafa Benitez’s men responded in style.
Daryl Murphy’s strike put them ahead just before half-time and Matt Ritchie’s double and Ayoze Perez’s header meant they equalled their biggest home win of the league season.
Rotherham should have had a penalty eight minutes before Murphy’s goal as Karl Darlow clipped Anthony Forde’s ankles but the goalkeeper got away with it and then produced a heroic save to deny Jerry Yates in the aftermath.
The win takes Newcastle a point clear of Brighton but Benitez knows sterner tests than this lie ahead.
He said: “We scored the first goal at the right time and then got the second at a good time too. It was a comfortable win in the end.
“Credit to Rotherham, they were working hard and in the first half they made it difficult to play against.
“We needed to win, we did it, we scored four goals, got a clean sheet and three points so it was job done. We are going in the right direction.”
Newcastle took the lead in first-half injury time. Jonjo Shelvey’s long free-kick found DeAndre Yedlin who cut back to Murphy to turn and fire home his third goal of the season.
Ritchie doubled the lead four minutes after the restart when he tapped home a rebound from Yoan Gouffran’s saved shot and then Perez added a third when he headed home Yedlin’s cross at the near post 10 minutes later.
And Newcastle’s fourth came 13 minutes from time as Ritchie slotted home from inside the area.
Rotherham boss Paul Warne said. “I thought it was a penalty. If Fordey had gone down he might have got it but he was too honest and stayed on his feet.
“I don’t think our season will be decided on this game. Newcastle have got class all over the pitch and will be a Premier League club again next season.”