GAYLE: WE’VE STILL GOT THUMB HARD WORK AHEAD OF US

DWIGHT Gayle has warned the hard work is just starting for Newcastle United – and the Magpies have plenty to improve on at the club’s Benton base this week.

The £10million man took his tally to 22 goals for the season and United are now 10 points clear of the automatic promotion places.

But Gayle is refusing to take anything for granted in the unforgiving Championship and is eager to knuckle down and iron out some of the issues that dogged the black-and-whites on Saturday afternoon against Wigan Athletic.

Gayle said: “After the international break and the last few games, I think the most important thing for us was to get the three points.

“We can now go on and work on some of the things on the training pitch that we didn’t do better.

“We know we can work on them, though.”

Gayle also feels it would be foolish to rule Huddersfield out of the automatic promotion race just yet.

The former Crystal Palace man said: “Things change, it happens every other week.

“You look at it and you are absolutely devastated and thinking ‘What’s happening here.’

“Then two weeks later, you are clear by a certain number of points.

“We know we can’t take it for granted and we have to keep pushing and taking the three points each game.”

Newcastle’s win over the Latics ended a run of three matches without a victory for Rafa Benitez’s side. Gayle says that United benefited from the two-week break at the end of last month.

He added: “It’s been a tough, long haul of fixtures for us.

“We were playing TuesdaySaturday-Tuesday-Saturday, so energy levels were dipping a bit.

“I think the two weeks came at a good time.

“Hopefully we have the energy to push on for the last seven games.”

Newcastle were roared on by 50,000 home fans on Saturday and it was obvious that supporters had taken Benitez’s words of wisdom on board this week.

After United had started the second half in sloppy fashion and been pegged back to 1-1 as Michael Jacobs bundled his way through before dinking the ball over Karl Darlow, the crowd remained firmly behind the players and stayed calm.

Gayle paid tribute to the crowd and said: “I think they were fantastic. They were crucial when we were back to 1-1. They got right behind us and we started playing some of our best football.

“That’s when we got the second. That’s what we need on Wednesday to get the three points.”

Gayle has already become the first player to make it past the 20-goal mark since Alan Shearer (2003/04).

With Gayle taking his tally to 22 against Wigan, the next milestone in sight is Shearer’s 25-goal haul back in 2002/03.