Ezri Konsa: Aston Villa should have held on

Dean Smith’s team looked set for a slightly fortuitous yet highly welcome win when Magpies defender Ciaran Clark deflected Ollie Watkins’ header into his own net with four minutes to go.

But having squandered chances to extend their lead, Villa conceded with 20 seconds of stoppage time remaining when Jamal Lascelles headed home.

It was only the second time this season Villa had failed to go on and claim victory after scoring first in a Premier League match.

Konsa said: “I don’t think we were good enough through the 90 minutes. When we went 1-0 up I think we could have managed the game a lot better than we did.

“Towards the end we should have slowed the game down a lot more. I understand we were in a position where we could have scored another goal.

“But in situations where we are playing away from home I think we just have to slow it right down and make sure we get the three points. We didn’t do that and it is very frustrating for everyone.”

Lascelles’ late goal denied Villa’s defence a 15th clean sheet of the season and what would have been a club record ninth away from home in a Premier League campaign.

The draw also saw them lose ground in the race for European football ahead of what is a pivotal fixture at home to Tottenham on Sunday.

Villa face Jose Mourinho’s men twice in their final 11 matches, with the first meeting rearranged from January following the Covid-19 outbreak which closed Bodymoor Heath.

Konsa continued: “No game in the Premier League is going to be easy. We knew Newcastle had been struggling for the last few games and knew they would try and put us under pressure.

“They did that at times, putting us on the back foot. But I thought we would come away with three points.

“We defended the box well, considering how many balls they put in there. It is just a frustrating one, right at the end. We have to move on now and look forward to Spurs.”