TOWN SHOW GREAT CHARACTER FOR BOISTEROUS SUPPORT BUT IT’S NOT TO BE

Conceded the penalty in the ninth minute and never really had a real chance at the other end of the pitch either Substitutes Joel Coleman Could have been the hero coming up for a late corner but it wasn’t to be - 6 Jonathan Hogg Great to see the midfield general back in action but struggled to make impact - 6 Collin Quaner Didn’t have time to make an impact - 5 TWO controversial first-half decisions from referee Roger East meant Town lost to Newcastle United in front of a sell-out John Smith’s Stadium crowd.

With second-placed Brighton & Hove Albion losing earlier in the day, David Wagner’s side had a real opportunity to pile on the pressure for the top two in the evening Sky Bet Championship kick-off.

But it wasn’t to be with the defeat, a first in eight league encounters, leaving David Wagner’s side 11 points behind leaders Newcastle and six behind the Seagulls.

As expected there were wholesale changes by Wagner from the side which lost 5-1 in the FA Cup fifth-round replay at Manchester City, with only Philip Billing keeping his place.

It’s testament to the youngster’s recent form that he retained his place in front of Jonathan Hogg – who has been so crucial to Town’s success this season – alongside the talismanic Aaron Mooy.

And it was Town, urged on by a boisterous John Smith’s Stadium crowd, who started the brightest, looking to spread the play out wide at every opportunity for the marauding Tommy Smith and Rajiv van La Parra on their respective wings.

But the opening positivity was quickly dampened as Newcastle were awarded a penalty in the ninth minute after Nahki Wells was adjudged to have brought down Matt Ritchie in the box.

The Magpies winger promptly got to his feet to clinically dispatch the penalty to Danny Ward’s lefthand side to leave the home faithful aggrieved and indignant.

And Town arguably had a case, the ball appearing to hit Jonjo Shelvey’s arm in the build-up before Ritchie latched onto it and proceeded to go down with the slightest, if any, of touches for the resultant spot-kick.

Character epitomises this Town side, though, and they quickly recovered on a rain-soaked pitch – pressing Newcastle back with their high-octane game as Billing went closest with a 30-yard piledriver which brought a good save from Toon keeper Karl Darlow.

And there was further controversy in the 32nd minute as Daryl Murphy doubled the visitors’ lead after Shelvey found the forward