The Newcastle United striker scored a hat-trick in the win over Norwich City.
Newcastle United defender Jamaal Lascelles has told the Chronicle that a half-time teamtalk was key to Dwight Gayle’s second-half performance in the win over Norwich City.
The Magpies took on Alex Neil’s side on Wednesday evening in a clash between two of the Championship’s promotion favourites.
The teams found themselves level at half-time after Graham Dorrans penalty had levelled Gayle’s opener.
In the end, though, the Newcastle United striker proved to be the difference as he went to bag a hat-trick in his side’s eventual 4-3 win.
It was an impressive second-half showing and Lascelles says it came about because of his teammates building up his confidence at halftime.
“Credit to him, he kept going,” he told the Chronicle.
“He could easily have spat his dummy out after the couple of chances he missed but he stuck with it and we filled him with confidence at half-time saying to him, ‘You’re going to win us the game.’”
Newcastle will now be hoping to kick on from this confidence-building victory and go on another winning run.
The result leaves the Magpies in third place in the table with 19 points from their first 10 games of the season.
They are just three points behind surprise leaders Huddersfield Town and will be keen to close that gap as soon as possible.
Rafa Benitez’s team return to action when they take on bottom-of-the-table Rotherham on Saturday afternoon.
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