'We just weren't good enough'... You're not kidding!
Brighton 3-0 Newcastle United
A deflated and defeated Ryan Fraser was paraded in front of the media after this one to face an inquest into one of the weakest performances, especially under the circumstances, you're ever likely to see from a Newcastle United team.
His words will certainly ring true with supporters even if those who follow the team clearly feel the pain and pride more than is evident from the players right now...
"The mood is the lowest it's been"
You don't say!!
Goals from Leandro Trossard, Danny Welbeck and Neal Maupay were no more than the home side deserved as the tore Newcastle apart from pretty much the first whistle.
Newcastle doing little more than lumping aimless balls forward from start, Brighton being made to look like Manchester City at times given the time and space being afforded to them. Only a lack of pace seemingly stopping the home side from taking the advantage much earlier in the game.
But in injury time in the first half, with Hayden having gone off with what would transpire to be a season ending injury, Brighton did get their just desserts. Trossard curling one in passed the helpless Dubravka.
And six minutes into the second half and the game was over. Welbeck this time with a wonderful striker leaving the keeper with no change once more. The icing on the cake for Brighton would come form Maupay with his first goal in 10 games for a team who'd won just one home game all season before this one.
Abject from start for finish from the visitors.
There would be the welcome sight of Miggy Almiron in the starting line up as the Paraguayan recovered from his injury in time to replace Dwight Gayle who drops to the bench. There would also be a start for Manquillo who replaced Krafth.
The changes, whilst welcome, hardly made the starting line-up look like a team that was 'going for it'. And so it would prove...
As early as the 5th minutes and Newcastle would see a goal against them ruled out for a foul on Dubravka. Hardly the most encouraging sign.
And whilst Newcastle should have gone to Brighton with the smell of blood in their nostrils it was the home side who were obviously up for this one sniffing the chance of all three points and only their second home win of the season.
Newcastle were not helping themselves when they did have the ball. Aimlessly thumping balls forward in the hope something might stick. A stat flashed on the TV showing that Newcastle had lead in away games for only 62 minutes all season, ALL SEASON, telling you all you needed to know about the set up and attitude to the game.
But despite Brighton having all the ball (65% all told), their lack of pace and cutting edge did look for a long period like it might save Newcastle's blushes.
United's best chance, probably only decent chance, of the first half would fall to Hayden who seemed to lose the flight on the ball and could only head wide when well placed from a Shelvey cross.
A serious looking knee injury to Hayden, one that would see the player stretchered off, would add a significant period of injury time to the first half. A period that would prove invaluable to the home side. Trossard picking the ball up on the edge of the box before expertly curling the ball beyond the left hand of Dubravka to give the home side the lead.
Into the second half and Ryan Fraser would come as close as is physically possible to score without doing so, having seen his effort come thundering back off the bar after rare good build up play from Joelinton and Miggy.
And United would be pay the price.
Just moment later it was 2-0. This time Welbeck with his own stunner hammering another nail into this particular footballing burial.
The game would be nothin of a contest from this point onwards. Newcastle perhaps slightly better in the second half ironically, when it didn't matter.
The goal from Maupay with 20 minutes left doing little more than add to the home sides confidence and further dent the Magpies already dire goal difference.
The whole thing, just awful.
Match FACTFILE
