Positive Rafa doesn’t fear the Hornets’ sting

RAFA Benitez says he is undaunted about the prospect of facing in-form Watford at St James’ Park this weekend.

The Magpies take on Javi Gracia’s team on the back of two consecutive wins with spirits high for the seventhplaced Hornets after their 3-0 win over Huddersfield Town.

But Benitez insists it is all about his own side and feels they are getting closer to winning a Premier League game – despite a run of 10 games without a victory.

Looking ahead to Watford, Benitez said: “We have to try to take the positives into the next game. We have to do the things we did against Brighton again when we created a lot of chances and crosses and shots.

“But we have to make sure we take one of them and score one more goal than the other team.”

Newcastle failed to beat a poor Southampton side at St Mary’s, but Benitez was the happier of the two managers as his side halted a sequence of three successive defeats.

Benitez said: “A point is more positive than negative.

“Could it be better? Yes, but they were pushing us in the second half and we wanted to keep a clean sheet.

“The positive thing for me was that the team was working really hard and you could see the team spirit.

“The team fought until the end in a difficult situation so that is positive.”