Alex Neil: Norwich City 'did not defend box well enough' at Newcastle United

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Alex NeilImage source, Rex Features
Image caption,

Alex Neil's Norwich City are two points behind Championship leaders Huddersfield

Norwich manager Alex Neil says his side need to win "more headers" after Wednesday's dramatic 4-3 defeat at Newcastle United in the Championship.

Newcastle fought back from 3-1 down to win with two goals in stoppage time.

"They worked as hard as you could possibly ask them to and it was honest when they tried to win the header and they've not won it," said Neil.

"I can't say anything negative about them other than the fact we just didn't defend our box well enough."

Neil believed Newcastle "didn't do anything out of the ordinary" in the early part of injury time, with the Canaries having gone for a back three late on in the game by bringing on Ryan Bennett.

But Yoan Gouffran equalised in the 95th minute before Dwight Gayle took down a "straight ball" forward to score the winner and his hat-trick goal.

Image source, Rex Features
Image caption,

Dwight Gayle's 96th-minute winner ended Norwich's five-match winning run

Norwich would have returned to the top of the Championship with a victory, but remain second and the Magpies moved up to third.

"I just think at times when we need to see important games out, for whatever reason, we don't make good decisions or win crucial headers," Neil told BBC Radio Norfolk.

"There's about 100 headers all over the pitch and maybe only five or six are critical headers, and at the moment we aren't winning the critical ones."

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