Newcastle 3-1 Brentford - Match Reaction

Newcastle ran out 3-1 winners at home to Brentford on Saturday afternoon. By all accounts, it was a mild encounter, an average Championship affair where the superior side only needs to be competent to come away with a victory. Two goals from Dwight Gayle sealed the deal after Ciaran Clark had headed home from a Jonjo Shelvey cross early in the first half. Brentford did steal one back moments after Newcastle had got their third, but there never seemed to be any serious possibility of the three points going to anyone but the Magpies. With Norwich winning and Huddersfield yet to play, victory took Newcastle up to second on 25 points.

It’s a struggle to know what to say after a game like this. Providing a detailed description of affairs is always difficult when you only have the radio as your guide. But one imagines that even if you were an eye-witness to this one, there wouldn’t be a whole lot to say. It was, perhaps, one of those games where the cliché: ‘we haven’t learnt anything new’ might be appropriate.

Jonjo Shelvey seems to be a cut above most, if not all midfielders in this league. He seems to be able to drive Newcastle into fourth or fifth gear (usually with a long, raking pass) when they have lulled. Dwight Gayle is a finisher, and proving to be an excellent purchase. But, aside from that, what did we learn? We are well organised, better man for man than most teams, and will (generally) only lose games because of ourselves rather than anybody else.

One talking point is Aleksandr Mitrovic. It was pointed out on BBC Radio Newcastle that today would have been a perfect game for the Serb – either to start or come on at half time. Newcastle were in control, the Brentford defence looked vulnerable, and here you have a player (on the back of a brace during the international break) needing to kick start his season. Yet, on the bench he remained. It’s a struggle to know what to make of it. Benitez is duly comfortable with rotation, and with a game on Tuesday it seemed logical to swap out strikers. If Mitrovic starts against Barnsley, perhaps that is the explanation required. But, if not, it says something. Namely – that Benitez doesn’t feel like Mitrovic can be trusted.

But, the story from this game is another three points. It’s hard to get excited about beating Brentford at home, but this is the name of the game. If we want tension, if we want excitement, if we want to see our team on TV, these are the hoops through which we must jump. It’s a word that is overused, but it’s appropriate: Newcastle were professional today. It might not get the heart racing – but it will get us back to where we belong.