Howe hits out after his sloppy Magpies fail to hold on to lead

11PTS DROPPED FROM WINNING POSITIONS THIS SEASON

- By ROSS GREGORY

A dejected Joelinton following the final whistle

(STEVE WELSH/PA WIRE)

NEWCASTLE United looked all set to make it three Premier League wins on the spin when they led Tottenham Hotspur deep into injury time, only to concede late to come away with a 2-2 draw.

Cristian Romero's double earned Spurs a point, cancelling out Bruno Guimaraes and Anthony Gordon goals.

It was a night of deep frustration for Eddie Howe and his players.

Here are five things we learned from the game.

It’s rare for Howe to have a pop at his players but his post-match press conference saw him come as close to it as he ever will.

The Magpies manager was very downbeat after seeing his side throw away another victory. He called out his players’ inability to control the game after they went ahead late on, the way they turned over possession and their defending and attacking from set pieces.

"We lost territory and the ability to get up the pitch. It’s something for us to look at," was one comment.

"I don’t think we were particularly good on set plays in either box," was another.

There was a lot of implied criticism in the immediate aftermath of what was a draw, but felt like a defeat. You sense stern words will be had when the squad returns to training.

The Wear-Tyne derby is on everyone's mind.