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Newcastle United news: Rafael Benitez delighted his players avoided complacency during Huddersfield victory

Newcastle boss Rafael Benitez praised his players for their response after fearing they were too relaxed ahead of their Premier League relegation clash with Huddersfield.

The Spaniard had been delighted with the way his squad had trained all week until Friday, when he felt the need to speak out.

His words had the desired effect as Ayoze Perez struck 10 minutes from time to clinch a 1-0 victory at St James' Park which eased the Magpies seven points clear of the relegation zone with seven games remaining.

Benitez said: "This week, we were training really well - apart from yesterday.