Newcastle manager Rafa Benitez says he is happy that Dwight Gayle was able to put away his chances against Norwich City last night. The £10million signing missed a one-on-one opportunity against Aston Villa last time out but the Spanish boss said that he felt that the goals would come sooner or later.
Gayle scored one goal in the first half against the Canaries but could have put the game beyond their opponent’s reach if he had a converted a couple more chances but Benitez is happy that his faith in the player was repaid by the 25 year old’s two goals in the second half, sealing a dramatic comeback win a hat-trick. Benitez is quoted by the Shields Gazette as saying;
“I said the other day that against Aston Villa, he had one or two clear chances and things could have been different. Every striker will have those situations, and I will always try to give confidence to a striker as long as he continues working. It is not just about scoring goals. He has been working hard – he had chances in the first half – and then his goals came in the second half. I’m really pleased for him, and really pleased for the team.”
Gayle’s three goals yesterday takes his tally to seven goals in all competitions since joining from Crystal Palace in the summer and he has staked his claim to continue to start ahead of the likes of Aleksandar Mitrovic, Ayoze Perez and Daryl Murphy.
