Newcastle United beat Huddersfield Town 1-0 at St James' Park on Saturday afternoon to move seven points clear of the Premier League relegation zone.
The only goal of the game was scored by Ayoze Perez in the 80th minute, as the Spanish forward tucked home from close range following a Jonas Lossl error.
United were good value for their victory in the end, having created a number of big chances in the first half, the best of which fell to Dwight Gayle.
Relive how the 90 minutes of action unfolded with Sports Mole's live text coverage below.
Hello and welcome to Sports Mole's live text coverage of the Premier League meeting between Newcastle United and Huddersfield Town at St James' Park. This is a huge showdown at the bottom end of the divisions, with both teams needing points to stay above the relegation zone as we enter the final stretch of the campaign.
Newcastle picked up a 3-0 win over fellow strugglers Southampton prior to the international break to climb four points above the relegation zone, while Huddersfield went down 2-0 at home to Crystal Palace, leaving them a point worse off than their opponents in 16th place. It is all very much to play for in the North-East this afternoon, then, in one of two relegation six-pointers.
NEWCASTLE UNITED TEAM NEWS!
STARTING XI: Dubravka; Dummett, Lascelles, Lejeune, Yedlin; Kenedy, Shelvey, Diame, Ritchie; Perez; Gayle
SUBS: Darlow, Manquillo, Clark, Hayden, Atsu, Murphy, Slimani
Starting with a look at the home team, boss Rafael Benitez has stuck with the same XI that saw off Southampton here a few weeks back. Kenedy was the star of the show on that occasion, netting a couple of goals to bolster his side's survival hopes, while Matt Ritchie also scored for the second home game running. Ritchie was a slight doubt ahead of today's game, but he is deemed fit enough to play a part from the off.
There is a new face on the bench for Newcastle at long last, however, as January loan signing Islam Slimani has shaken off a thigh problem to take a spot in the matchday squad. The Magpies paid a fairly substantial sum to Leicester City to take the striker for the remainder of the season, and after getting 30 minutes under his belt for Algeria he should be able to play a part from the bench this afternoon.
Slimani had not featured for club or country since January 16 prior to his cameo for Algeria earlier this week, so it is fair to say that he will likely be a little rusty. No real surprise to see Dwight Gayle and Ayoze Perez given the nod in attack on the back of the impressive victory last time out, while Kenedy and Ritchie will be tasked with providing support from a slightly deeper position in what is a 4-4-1-1.
HUDDERSFIELD TOWN TEAM NEWS!
STARTING XI: Lossl; Smith, Kongolo, Schindler, Jorgensen; Hogg, Mooy; Van La Parra, Pritchard, Kachunga; Depoitre
SUBS: Coleman, Malone, Billing, Ince, Quaner, Mounie, Hadergjonaj
Switching attention to the visitors, Elias Kachunga has returned to Huddersfield's starting lineup following a spell on the sidelines with a knee injury. Kachunga has missed the Terriers' last 18 matches since the 4-1 win at Watford in December, and his return in place of Collin Quaner out wide is a major boost for David Wagner. All in all the German boss makes five alterations.
Tommy Smith and Laurent Depoitre come in for their first starts in six games, with Wagner clearly acknowledging that he needs to change things around following a disappointing set of results heading into the international break. Florent Hadergjonaj and Steve Mounie are the men to make way in the second and third changes; Terence Kongolo replaces Scott Malone and Rajiv van La Parra takes over from Tom Ince in the other two.
Influential midfielder Aaron Mooy picked up a knock while away with Australia and Philip Billing likewise with Denmark Under-21s, but both men have recovered in time to take their places in the squad. Mooy retains his spot in the middle of the park, while Billing is among the substitutes. There is no place for Danny Williams and Michael Hefele, however, as they have been ruled out for the rest of the season.
Elias Kachunga returns to Huddersfield Town's starting lineup this afternoon following a three-month spell on the sidelines, taking over from Collin Quaner in one of five changes made by boss David Wagner. Opposite number Rafael Benitez sticks with a winning formula, meanwhile, having named an unchanged side on the back of the 3-0 win against Southampton here earlier this month.
RESULT! The full-time whistle has just sounded in the early Premier League kickoff, and it is good news for Newcastle and Huddersfield as fellow strugglers Crystal Palace have been defeated by Liverpool. The Eagles were once again desperately unlucky, having taken a first-half lead which they threw away in the second period - Mohamed Salah scoring an 84th-minute winner.
Palace found themselves above Huddersfield and Newcastle for an hour or so, but they have now dropped back down to their original position of 16th. It remains incredibly tight at the bottom; just seven points separate Stoke City in 19th and Brighton & Hove Albion in 12th. Victory for either the Magpies or the Terriers today really would make the world of difference.
Newcastle head into this match on a high thanks to that 3-0 win over Southampton a few weeks back, and they have since travelled to Spain for some warm-weather training. Just a few more victories from their eight remaining matches should be enough to get the Magpies over the line; 40 points often being seen as enough to secure top-flight status. Benitez's men have lost just one of their last six matches, coming at the hands of Manchester City.
The Magpies have some winnable fixtures coming up, including this one at home to Huddersfield, and they should have enough in them to drag themselves clear of the drop. They do still have to travel to Tottenham Hotspur, however, as well as playing host to Arsenal and Chelsea, so defeat this afternoon - or perhaps even a draw - and all of a sudden the outlook is completely different.
Newcastle have won back-to-back home matches, against Southampton and Manchester United, and are now unbeaten in six matches at St James' Park in all competitions since losing to Manchester City on December 27 - a match that saw Benitez heavily criticised for his use of tactics. The Magpies have kept a clean sheet in each of their last three league wins and have a decent defensive record overall.
Just 40 goals have been conceded all season - a record that only six other sides can better at this late stage in the campaign. Keeping out the opposition has proved to be key for United, as six of their eight victories have come by a single-goal margin. Newcastle have also have a good record in this type of fixture, having only lost once in 12 games against teams currently below them.
That loss did come against Huddersfield in August, though, so the Toon Army should not get too carried away. The 3-0 win over Southampton was a good example, with Kenedy bagging a couple of goals and Ritchie also finding a way through. Ritchie has now scored in back-to-back home matches and is aiming to become the first United player since Yoan Gouffran in 2013 to make that three in a row.
PREVIOUS MEETINGS! Huddersfield Town have won two of their last three meetings with Newcastle United, including a 2-1 victory here on their most recent visit in August 2016. Aaron Mooy gave the Terriers a 1-0 triumph in the reverse fixture last August, meanwhile, and they are now seeking a first league double in this fixture since 1953-54.
This is a fixture that tends to provide entertainment, as 26 goals have been scored in the last six matches at a rate of 4.5 per game. Huddersfield Town won the reverse match 1-0 at the John Smith's Stadium early on in the campaign, but Newcastle United have since recovered to find themselves better positioned heading into this latest showdown.
The Terriers are 15th in the Premier League table and three points above the dropzone after playing a game more than Southampton in 18th. One point from the last nine on offer has left Town in serious trouble, having been held to a goalless draw by Swansea City before going down 2-0 at home to Crystal Palace last time out; James Tomkins and Luka Milivojevic netting the Eagles' goals in that one.
Huddersfield manage to pick up back-to-back wins last month in games against Bournemouth and West Bromwich Albion; victories that are keeping them just about afloat at the bottom end. Still, it is just those two wins in 13 matches since mid-December, and the Terriers are at serious risk of seeing all their hard work come undone. Most worryingly of all, they see out their season with games against Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City.
Points are therefore going to be needed in games against Newcastle, Brighton, Watford and Everton if the Yorkshire outfit are to continue ticking over and remain outside of the bottom three. Just seven points from nine league matches in 2018 is the second-worst return of any side after basement club West Bromwich Albion, who have accrued only four points since the turn of the year.
DID YOU KNOW? Huddersfield Town have lost four of their five away matches in 2018, the exception being a 2-1 triumph at West Bromwich Albion on February 24, and they have failed to net in each of the defeats. The Terriers have failed to score in a league-high 17 matches, in fact, with only Malaga (20) performing worse in that regard across Europe's elite five divisions.
Huddersfield have seven goals from their last 11 matches, explaining why Wagner has opted to rotate things somewhat this afternoon. The Terriers have lost 15 of their 16 Premier League matches after conceding the first goal, suggesting that they are often playing catch-up in games. A slow start is something that they cannot afford today, but the question is whether a point will be considered a good result.
With kickoff at St James' Park now a little over 10 minutes away, let us check out some pre-match thoughts from both camps.
Rafael Benitez: "If we win tomorrow, it will be a big step forward, but I still say 40 points is the figure. It may be less, but we have to play, we have to win and, after that, still we have to keep fighting because we still have a lot of games to play."
David Wagner: "We are in the most exciting period of the season and entering the last few yards. We have seven games to go and are in and around the area where it's exciting for us. Now we have to take the excitement onto the pitch, use all the freedom to perform like you can, and then try to get a great performance and a good result."
Benitez acknowledging the importance of this match, pointing to the fact that Newcastle will move to 35 points for the season with victory today. All three points is the target for Newcastle, who are in a good position right now but know that one defeat and all of a sudden they are deep in relegation trouble once again. It is worth pointing out again that the Magpies face Tottenham, Arsenal and Chelsea in three of their last eight matches.
Wagner says that we are now entering "the most exciting period of the season", and he must ensure that his players do not let their nerves get the better of them. Huddersfield can move as high as 12th in the table with victory today, whereas defeat and they may well find themselves in the dropzone with time running out to escape. The tight nature of the division means that goal difference will also likely have a say,
This is what you can justifiably describe as a relegation six-pointer, and that is also the case at the London Stadium this afternoon as West Home United play host to Southampton. Something has got to give in that one - can West Ham put their recent on-and-off-field issues to one side and climb a few points clear of the dropzone, or will Southampton finally kickstart their campaign at the perfect time?
PREDICTION! This will surely be a tight and cagey affair. Huddersfield have a terrible record when it comes to conceding the opening goal, while Newcastle's wins only tend to come when they keep out the opposition. With that in mind I am going with a 1-0 home win, which would give the Magpies plenty of breathing space in the race to avoid the drop.
Both sets of players are now out on the field of play and kickoff at St James' Park is just a minute or so away. A great atmosphere inside the ground already, with home supporters knowing just how big a part they can play. Newcastle, remember, have won back-to-back matches here and are unbeaten on home soil in 2018.
KICKOFF! We are under way in the North-East in what is a huge clash at the bottom end of the Premier League. Newcastle attempting to control possession in the early stages, patiently working the ball into advanced positions.
Yedlin gives away a needless free kick but Pritchard is unable to find a teammate when sending the ball into the box. Alex Pritchard then sliced an attempt wide of the target from range when the ball was not properly cleared.
YELLOW CARD! Aaron Mooy follows through on his challenge and is shown the game's first yellow card by referee Martin Atkinson. Jonjo Shelvey lined up the free kick but frustratingly sent it straight into the opposition wall.
YELLOW CARD! Newcastle have a penalty appeal rejected after Kenedy was tripped inside the box. Lascelles then let frustration get the better of him when another decision went against his side, booting the ball away and becoming the second player to be booked.
Nine minutes on the clock and it has been a fairly entertaining clash so far, albeit short on quality in the attacking third. Neither side has mustered a serious shot, with Matt Ritchie's sliced shot the closest either side have come.
United starting to push their opponents further and further back, enjoying some sustained pressure on the ball. An intended through-ball if gobbled up by Lossl in the Huddersfield goal, with Gayle being left frustrated in the advanced attacking role.
Newcastle dominating possession now but they are not really doing much with it. Wagner's men appear to be happy to sit back and potentially hit their opponents on the counter, though so far they have not been given a chance to do so.
SHOT! Newcastle's best moment of the match so far, as Gayle's overhead kick is blocked as far as Shelvey on the edge of the box. The midfielder's shot was a little scuffed, but Gayle nearly got a foot to it to divert it home.
SAVE! Some nice play by Newcastle leads to a fortunate bounce, which sees Matt Ritchie with just Jonas Lossl to beat. The Scottish midfielder was unable to lift the ball over the Terriers' keeper, though - a good save in the end.
Huddersfield's turn to attack now, winning themselves a corner kick which Newcastle are able to deal with. A great last-ditch challenge from Lascelles high up the field then prevented opposition striker Depoitre from racing through on goal.
Nearly a quarter of the match has been played and there has so far been just the one chance; Ritchie unable to beat Lossl down low when he should have been burying the ball. Benitez will be happy with the way his side are controlling the play.
SAVE! A routine stop for Lossl to keep out Gayle's shot. Prior to that, Huddersfield had enjoyed pretty much their best spell of the match as they spent a couple of minutes in possession of the ball. Not a lot between the sides.
Not a lot between the sides, but Newcastle are doing more to find an opener. Ritchie and Gayle have both had shots saved by Lossl, though momentum does appear to be shifting in Huddersfield's favour, with home fans anxiously watching on.
CHANCE! Huge chance for Gayle to open the scoring for the home side. The striker did well to take down a fine Shelvey pass over the top, only to sen the subsequent shot about a yard wide of goal after Lossl raced off his line.
Huddersfield, who now have two players booked after a yellow was shown to Jonathan Hogg, have had to ride their luck in the opening half an hour here. Newcastle have now had two huge chances and also came close through an earlier Gayle shot.
CHANCE! Not quite sure how this one remains goalless following those two Newcastle chances. Make that three big chances, in fact, because Dwight Gayle has just smashed the ball over the bar from seven yards out.
A cross from the right bounced up nicely for Gayle to take on the shot from that latest chance, but he could not even find the target. Benitez will be furious if Huddersfield snatch a goal, having seen his side squander chances galore.
Half time is now 10 minutes away and there is no real sign of the flow of the game changing. Huddersfield's tactics just do not appear to be working at the moment; they are only level by virtue of Newcastle's poor finishing in front of goal.
Dubravka, who has been very impressive since arriving on loan in January, may has well be sat in the stands. The Magpies currently attempting to find some momentum once again as the game has gone a bit stale over the past few minutes.
Great bit of trickery by Kenedy but he was blocked off the ball inside the box. The Chelsea loanee wanted a penalty but referee Martin Atkinson felt that he ran into his opponent, rather than deliberately being blocked. Half time now fast approaching.
Gayle may have missed a couple of very good chances in the first half but he deserves some credit for his movement in the opposition box. The striker gets to a right-sided cross first but was unable to flick it on Lossl's target.
Depoitre clatters into Lascelles but is let off with just a talking to from Martin Atkinson. Two minutes of normal time left to play and Wagner will be the happier of the two managers to hear the whistle blow, with his side second best.
Just one minute of time is going to be played at the end of the first half. Huddersfield win themselves a free kick but are unable to fashion any sort of chance from it. Up the other end, Lossl collects a backpass but it came off his teammate's knee, making it legal.
HALF TIME: NEWCASTLE UNITED 0-0 HUDDERSFIELD TOWN
Referee Martin Atkinson brings the first half to a close. Huddersfield Town have been second best but are somehow still on level terms, with Newcastle United unable to take any of their presentable opportunities so far. All to play for in the second 45!
The first of Newcastle's first-half chances fell the way of Matt Ritchie, who was unable to lift the ball over Jonas Lossl after taking advantage of a fortunate bounce inside the box. Jonjo shelvey's scuffed shot was nearly turned on target by Dwight Gayle, and the striker would test Lossl shortly after with a fairly tame attempt from range.
Two more presentable opportunities came and went for Gayle, as he lofted the ball a yard wide after being played through over the top by Shelvey, before blasting over from six yards when getting on the end of a right-sided cross. Huddersfield, who have failed to score in a league-high 17 league matches this season, struggled to really get going and were grateful to hear the half-time whistle.
BENCH WATCH!
NEWCASTLE UNITED SUBS: Darlow, Manquillo, Clark, Hayden, Atsu, Murphy, Slimani
HUDDERSFIELD TOWN SUBS: Coleman, Malone, Billing, Ince, Quaner, Mounie, Hadergjonaj
RESTART! We are back up and running at St James' Park, where neither manager has made any half-time alterations. The big scoreline from elsewhere this afternoon comes from the London Stadium, where West Ham lead Southampton 3-0. As things stand, Newcastle are 13th and Huddersfield 15th.
Shelvey slices the ball wide from 20 yards from what can be labelled a half-chance for Newcastle. No doubt that this will be seen as two points dropped should it finish this way, though there is still a long, long way to go.
Definitely more intensity to Newcastle's play compared to that of Huddersfield. Still, though, it remains goalless after 50 minutes and Benitez must surely be tempted to turn to loan striker Islam Slimani in the next 10 minutes or so.
Kachunga, back in the starting lineup today after a three-month layoff, is down receiving some treatment following a nasty challenge from Kenedy. Looks as though the Congolese will have to be replaced as he is not in a good way at all.
An intended long ball over the top for Gayle is collected by Lossl. Bar Shelvey's shot early on, Newcastle have not really managed to create much since the restart and the game has become stale once again. Kachunga, incredibly, is back on the field.
HUDDERSFIELD TOWN SUB! Kachunga did not last too long after returning to the field. Colin Quaner, the man he replaced in the starting lineup, comes on for the final 35 minutes or so at St James' Park - a slightly different option.
It has been a quiet start to the second half, with neither side really doing much of anything. Much like in the first half, however, Newcastle do appear to be the more likely to find that piece of quality required to make the breakthrough.
SHOT! Depoitre turns on the edge of the box and flashes a shot wide of target. Did not test Dubravka but that will act as a warning sign for the home side, who are struggling to find the momentum they enjoyed in the first half.
YELLOW CARD! Christopher Schindler has been cautioned for holding up play. Benitez needs to consider making that first chance because this match is petering out badly at the moment, with chances at a premium.
As things stand Newcastle are five points clear of the dropzone and Huddersfield four points. Due to Southampton losing heavily, both teams have gained a point. Still, Benitez will be disappointed if this one finished goalless.
CHANCE! Mathias Jorgensen meets the corner with a diving header, which was blocked before it could reach the goal. Dubravka then grateful to collect the loose ball in front of him before a visiting player could pounce.
NEWCASTLE UNITED SUB! Perez with a shocker of an attempt at the front post, flicking his boot at the ball and sending it wide rather than meeting it with his head. Benitez has turned to Christian Atsu in place of Matt Ritchie.
One of the worst shots you will see in the Premier League all season. Christian Atsu, on the field for just a couple of minutes, works a yard of space on the edge of the box but sent the ball sailing high and wide. A real shocker!
The atmosphere around St James' Park has become very tense now as we enter the final 18 minutes. In truth it has been a poor second half devoid of any real talking points. That could soon be about to change as Slimani is being readied to come on.
NEWCASTLE UNITED SUB! Islam Slimani finally makes his first appearance for Newcastle, taking over from Dwight Gayle for the final 15 minutes or so. A chance for the Leicester City loanee to make himself a hero.
Great defending from Kongolo to take the ball off Atsu down the right-hand side. No real change in the scores elsewhere, so Newcastle and Huddersfield will have moved a point closer to safety if things remain as they are around the country.
NEWCASTLE UNITED SUB! Shelvey has played some impressive passes from deep today, the latest of which almost sets Slimani free. The attack soon fizzled out and you have to wonder where a goal is going to come from now. Isaac Hayden is now on for Mo Diame in midfield.
GOAL! NEWCASTLE UNITED 1-0 HUDDERSFIELD TOWN (AYOZE PEREZ)
Newcastle take the lead at St James' Park through a close-range finish from Ayoze Perez! A howler from Town keeper Jonas Lossl, who dropped a cross and allowed Kenedy to square to Perez, who was able to sweep it home from a few yards out.
All of a sudden Huddersfield are chasing a goal, with just seven minutes of normal time left to find one. Newcastle have not been brilliant in this second half, though they do deserve to be ahead on the basis of the whole match.
HUDDERSFIELD TOWN SUB! Steve Mounie has been thrown on up top in place of Tommy Smith as Wagner rolls the dice. A few seconds after that chance, Huddersfield substitute Collin Quaner was cautioned for his challenge.
HUDDERSFIELD TOWN SUB! A third and final change for Huddersfield, as Scott Malone replaces Rajiv van La Parra. Benitez has also used all three subs, doing so before that seemingly decisive strike from Ayoze Perez.
A minute of normal time remains and Huddersfield have still yet to muster a single shot on target. They have not looked like scoring all afternoon and they remain just three points above the relegation zone - far too close for safety.
Five minutes have been added on at the end of the second half, so there is still a chance for Huddersfield to salvage something from this match. It is all very tense around St James' Park - understandably so with the stakes so high.
Three of the five added-on minutes have been played and toothless Huddersfield are no closer to finding a way through. It will be another disappointing away day for their supporters, unless they can make something happen in the remaining 120 seconds.
FULL TIME: NEWCASTLE 1-0 HUDDERSFIELD TOWN
Newcastle United see out a fairly tense period of stoppage time to make it back-to-back Premier League wins. Ayoze Perez was the hero of the day, converting from close range after being picked out by Kenedy for the only goal of the game.
That concludes Sports Mole's live text coverage of events from St James' Park. An on-the-whistle report can be found by clicking here, while reaction from this and all the day's other Premier League games can be found elsewhere on the site in due course. Thanks for joining!
