Benitez: Hopefully the fans can be happy with the point

Oli Fisher
newcastle boss rafa benitez 6

Rafael Benitez has admitted that he was disappointed his Newcastle side couldn’t turn a winning position at Southampton into three points.

Manolo Gabbiadini’s double rescued the Saints as his side twice came from behind to salvage a point.

Saints looked to be staring down the barrel of a third straight league defeat when Isaac Hayden and Ayoze Perez put Newcastle ahead in each half at St Mary’s Stadium.

But both times Gabbiadini hit back, his second goal coming from the penalty spot after Newcastle’s Florian Lejeune had brought down Shane Long.

“I have to be happy because we have drawn, at the same disappointed because we could have won,” Benitez admitted.

“We created chances to score goals, in the end I thought it was a good performance from the team. My bigger disappointment was to see 3,500 on Sunday, playing away, not getting the three points. Hopefully they can be happy with the point.

“We were more or less in control, they had to take more risks, when we conceded the goal the reaction was good.

“We have to be better in defence, have a little bit more possession. We were still trying to score, we finished strong.

“I wanted a little bit more, we worked so hard.”