Jamaal Lascelles was full of praise for Dwight Gayle, as a training ground move became United's winner



By Anthony Marshall - Newcastle United Managing Editor

Captain Jamaal Lascelles revealed it was a case of practice makes perfect for Newcastle United in their away-day triumph at Bristol City on Saturday.

Dwight Gayle's first-half strike was enough to separate the sides at Ashton Gate in the Sky Bet Championship clash, as the Magpies recorded a first three-point haul on the road in more than eight months.

The 19th-minute winner was a swift, perfectly-executed counter attack which started with centre-back Chancel Mbemba making a crucial interception deep in United's half and skipping past a couple of challenges before feeding Mohamed Diame.

There appeared little on for the midfielder but Diame looked up and, from around halfway, flighted an outstanding diagonal ball over the heads of two City defenders and into the path of Gayle.

The summer signing's first touch was brilliant and his second even better, firing past Robins' keeper Richard O'Donnell.

And Lascelles explained it was a move that had come straight off the training pitch, as United looked to turn defence into attack as quickly as possible away from home.

"We've been working on Dwight running in behind in training, so it was great to see it come off," the centre-back told nufc.co.uk.

"If he gets in behind defenders he's really hard to catch. He's sharp and if he gets a yard he will finish, which he showed.

"Thankfully he got us that goal, he's on form and we need to keep him confident and on his game because he's an unbelievable player.

"But it was a team performance and everyone did their jobs at both ends of the pitch. If he keeps doing that every week and we keep defending like that, we will be flying."

It was a tough afternoon for Lascelles and Co, who spent long periods of the game on the back foot, dealing with high ball after high ball and countless set pieces that were launched into the box.

But United defended brilliantly for a first clean sheet of the season, and the skipper believes it was a display of character and attitude as well as quality.

"That was a massive game for us to win," Lascelles continued.

"We knew it was going to be tough, away from home, and it was exactly that from start to finish.

"But we got an early goal, which we don't do too often and we defended excellently.

"It just goes to show that we can fight and compete to go with the talent we've got."