Nigel Clough: Burton Albion boss says players can hold heads high

Nigel Clough was reappointed Burton manager in December 2015

Manager Nigel Clough says Burton can be proud of their showing against leaders Newcastle, despite slipping to their third straight Championship defeat.

The Brewers were beaten 2-1 at home by the Magpies on Saturday and are only two points clear of the bottom three.

Clough told BBC Radio Derby: "We played well enough to get a point out of the game and it should have been three.

"I'm incredibly proud, one of the great things was the quality of our some of our play and the quality performance."

Burton, who go to Aston Villa on Boxing Day, now have 22 points from 22 games and lost to Brentford, Huddersfield and Newcastle in an eight-day spell.

Clough feels his side deserved a better return than taking zero points from the three games.

"If we had sat here with six points after Huddersfield and Newcastle, I don't think anyone would've felt that was an unfair reflection on the two performances," continued Clough.

"If we ever get a break in the second half of the season, we get a point or three."