Gutierrez focuses on Toon’s magic number

JONAS GUTIERREZ has already put the disappointment of a missed opportunity behind him as he plots victory over West Brom.

The Magpies will attempt to reach the 30-point target manager Alan Pardew has set them for Christmas when the Baggies arrive on Tyneside on Wednesday evening.

They would have been significantly closer to that landmark in their season had they made the most of the chances they created against Swansea on Saturday, when all the pressure ultimately counted for little as they were held goalless.

Gutierrez, who came within inches of what would have been a winner shortly before the break, said: “We created a lot of chances. We kept the ball and had possession, but that’s football.

“Sometimes you create one chance and you score and you win, and sometimes you create many chances and you draw. That’s football and we have to focus on the next game.’’

Newcastle set about the task of addressing their four-game winless Premier League run — three of those games had been against Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea — with some relish and on another day could have been home and dry before half time.

They were denied twice in quick succession by the woodwork, returning skipper Fabricio Coloccini heading against one post with 19 minutes gone and Demba Ba striking the other four minutes later with keeper Michel Vorm beaten on both occasions.

However, the Dutchman pulled off a fine reaction save three minutes before the break to keep out Ba’s fiercely-struck volley, although he was then relieved to see Gutierrez’s piledriver fade just wide of the top corner.

But if Swansea had ridden their luck during the opening 45 minutes, their defending, while equally concerted, was much more controlled in the second half while the Magpies failed to summon up the required quality to make the breakthrough.

While disappointed by the loss of two points, Pardew could not fault the efforts of his players.

He said: “We are in good fettle for the next game, and that’s what you have got to be. We are frustrated, but hopefully we are armed by that on Wednesday night and we win.”

Swansea manager Brendan Rodgers was delighted with the way his players responded to his half-time entreaties.

He said: “A lot of these players came here two years ago and lost heavily 3-0, but today they were psychologically very much ready for the game.’’