Carver rues ´mad five minutes´

Newcastle United head coach John Carver bemoaned his side’s poor spell either side of the interval after a 3-2 Premier League defeat to Swansea City.

Out-of-form Newcastle took the lead through Ayoze Perez in the 20th minute, but were pegged back in first-half stoppage time by Nelson Oliveira’s first goal for Swansea.

Garry Monk’s side then took the lead through Gylfi Sigurdsson four minutes into the second period, with Jack Cork adding a third before Siem de Jong marked his first appearance since August with a late consolation.

The defeat was Newcastle’s seventh in succession, leaving them 14th, five points above the relegation zone with four matches remaining.

“We started quite well,” Carver said. “I played a different formation with two strikers and a diamond and I thought we played some good football and could have come in 2-0 up.

“We were in control of the game but the only worry was set plays which is our Achilles heel.

“The team talk changes because we’re level and it’s disappointing, but I was still quite positive. It was a mad five minutes either side of half-time.

“We’ve got four massive games. I saw enough in the first half and I can’t be too critical of anyone in that dressing room.

“Yes I’m getting stick from the crowd, but I can take that on the chin and I won’t give up on it and I’ll fight right to the end.

“It’s my job to try and pick them [the players] up. I can’t by hyper critical of them because they don’t deserve that. They’re giving us everything, but sometimes that’s not enough.”