Newcastle manager Rafael Benitez has praised his side for showing character as they recovered from two goals down to earn a draw against Bristol City, though he is still disappointed that his club lost out on two valuable points as they relinquished first position on the Championship standings to Brighton and Hove Albion as a result.
The Magpies made a sloppy start to the game and had plenty of hard work to do after 21 minutes following the concession of two slack goals.
Through a gifted own goal from Korey Smith and an 82nd minute header from Ciaran Clark, United did manage to salvage a point though and it could prove to be crucial ahead of a difficult week which will see them battle against fellow Premier League promotion chasers Brighton, Huddersfield Town and Reading.
Benitez told reporters after the draw, “With the chances we had I think we could have scored again and won the game. We have a lot of games to play.
“My concern is that we made some mistakes that we can’t afford to make in the future. We showed character in the second half, but we have to stay calm.”
