Newcastle United 2-3 Brentford: Bruno Guimaraes and Lewis Hall couldn’t hide their disappointment following the defeat at St James’ Park.
Lewis Hall dropped to his knees as the full-time whistle blew to confirm a third straight defeat for Newcastle United.
Brentford had come from behind to win 3-2 at St James’ Park and complete a Premier League double over The Magpies, moving six points clear of them in the process.
Bruno Guimaraes made his return to the starting line-up after four games out with an ankle injury. It was a welcome boost to the side, felt when the captain grabbed an assist with his corner being nodded in by Sven Botman to give Newcastle the lead midway through the first half.
Yet by half-time, Newcastle trailed after Brentford scored a quickfire double through Vitaly Janelt and Igor Thiago.
Heading into the closing stages, Guimaraes, visibly tiring on his return to action, made a lung-busting run into the box only to be brought down by Michael Kayode. The Magpies were awarded a penalty and the Brazilian stepped up and made it 2-2 with his ninth goal of the season.
But Newcastle’s hope of getting a result was shattered when Dango Ouattara made it 3-2 in the 85th minute to secure three points for Brentford and condemn The Magpies to a third successive defeat.
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Bruno Guimaraes & Lewis Hall’s instant reaction to NUFC defeat
With a goal and an assist on his return to the side after three weeks out, Guimaraes was one of Newcastle’s better performers of a very low bar set on Saturday evening.
And Hall, like most weeks, put in another solid showing despite many of his teammates falling short of the standards expected of them.
The 21-year-old, who has had to play game after game following a lengthy injury absence due to a lack of alternatives available, was moved out to right-back for the closing stages.
And when the full-time whistle blew, a weary Hall dropped to his knees with his head on the ground, dejected. A young player and ray of hope and positivity in a side that has mostly lacked it this season, now looked broken himself.
But it was captain Guimaraes who was quick to go over to Hall and get him back on his feet. It was a heartbreaking moment at full-time involving two Newcastle players who have given their all for the club this season and, for the most part, delivered.
Yet as a whole, Newcastle are not functioning as intended as they sit 12th in the table, 10 points off the Champions League places with 13 games left to play.
Bruno Guimaraes issues social media statement
Reflecting on the loss and his return from injury, Guimaraes wrote: “Delighted to be back almost three weeks after my last injury.
“I know, and we all know, our responsibility as players, and that things are not happening the way we would like.
“I believe that in these four years together, this is the first time we are going through a real dip in form. We have to work harder, because difficult moments are always opportunities for us to become better than we have ever been.
“There is still a lot ahead of us, but we are certain that inside our club, no one will let go of anyone, and we will give everything to enjoy better days.
“Special thanks to the club’s physios for getting me back fit in record time, as well as my staff for helping me return to the pitch as quickly as possible. Howay NUFC.”
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