Newcastle United were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Aston Villa today as Steve McClaren’s side were made to rue their missed chances.
Despite netting twice late on in their last outing, Newcastle continue to falter in front of goal and have only netted 19 times this season – only once more than 19th placed rivals Sunderland.
McClaren decided to stick with Siem de Jong and Papiss Cisse, who have netted twice between them all season, to take on Aston Villa, in what was perceived by the fans as a ‘last chance’ for the pair.
Midway through the first half, Cisse was forced off through injury and McClaren turned to Mitrovic. Just five minutes after, Newcastle took the lead as Coloccini’s strike flew past Brad Guzan.
Ayoze Perez then came on midway through the second half, though the conditions didn’t really suit the young Spaniard.
After Villa netted their equaliser, McClaren turned to French winger Florian Thauvin to produce that special something and snatch a winner. His crossing was superb and he created a handful of chances for his teammates – though nobody was able to convert.
Here are a selection of the best images from today’s game:
