Rafael Benitez: 'Newcastle United let Aston Villa back into the game'

Newcastle United coach Rafael Benitez has revealed his frustration at his side's inability to kill off the game following the club's 1-1 draw with Aston Villa in the Championship.

A dominant first-half showing from the Magpies saw them take the lead when Villa skipper Tommy Elphick put into his own net, but the hosts came back late on in the second half to secure a point through Aaron Tshibola.

"[Roberto] Di Matteo will have another vision of the second half, but the first half we were so dominant that we could finish the game and then we would be sat here talking about another thing," the Birmingham Mail quotes Benitez as saying.

"But that is football, you have to take your chances. We had to defend better second half, but you have to give credit to them.

"The positives for our team were in the first half and the negatives were in the second as we allowed them to stay in the game."

Benitez's Newcastle charges currently sit in fifth spot in the league table after nine games.