Following a quick-fire trio of daunting away tests, a return to familiar surroundings brought no relief for Newcastle on Saturday night as their winless run was extended to five matches.

Despite taking the lead through a Sven Botman header on his 100th game for the club, the black and whites fell short at both ends of the pitch and left empty-handed once again.

That lead last just 13 minutes before Dango Ouattara sent over a cross from the left flank that Vitaly Janelt expertly headed into the Leazes End net.

Worse then followed in the closing moments of the half; Jacob Murphy illegally stopping Mathias Jensen's shot with his hand and Igor Thiago rolling home his 18th goal of the season from 12 yards.

Brentford had claimed a spot kick within the opening two minutes when Keane Lewis-Potter went to ground as he contested a loose ball in the box with Kieran Trippier. Thankfully that wasn't given. 

A VAR-inspired penalty won and converted by the returning Bruno Guimaraes with just over 10 minutes of normal time left seemed to have given Eddie Howe's side the platform to go on clinch a massive three points.

Instead it was the Bees who ended a 91-year wait for their second-ever victory at Gallowgate, Ouattara shooting powerfully through Nick Pope's legs; the tenth goal United have conceded in three games.

A Brentford side who have played five times in as many weeks looked sharper, better organised and more potent in attack than an ailing Toon line-up, badly lacking a cutting edge in what was their ninth game during that same period.

Even the return of Bruno after a three game absence couldn't inspire the hosts, although he contributed a goal and an assist. Murphy was selected on the right over Anthony Elanga but ineffectual to the point of anonymity, while Joe Willock and Harvey Barnes got some early joy on the left, but had nothing to aim at up front in open play.

Facing his old side for the first time, Yoane Wissa missed a crucial opportunity to double United's lead but otherwise contributed nothing in another lack-lustre outing, to the delight of his former supporters clustered up in Level 7.

Nick Woltemade was no better after his half-time arrival, reaching the box but failing to test Caoimhim Kelleher with a shot and making several embarrassing attempts at heading the ball.

£100m+ spent on two alleged strikers, but nothing to show for it. Malick Thiaw's second half strike was rather better than anything that our German or DR Congo internationals could muster.

Discontented home followers booed their side off at both half and full time, as the Magpies extended their losing Premier League run to three games for the first time in two years and the future of the manager became a hot topic across Tyneside and beyond.

Exiting to the strains of Sam Fender once again - the SJP post-match soundtrack of failure - the line, "do it all again next week" stood out. It's difficult at this point to see what can be changed, but defeat in the FA Cup would at least insert a ten day reset into our March schedule and a rare opportunity to get the whole squad out of Tyneside, rather than just the non-internationals.

Collectively out of form, a side crying out for fresh legs and ideas has neither: a club unwilling or unable to enter the transfer market bulking out their bench with development squad players for no discernible purpose. The effects of our punishing schedule are exemplified by the ailing Trippier - the cliche about form being temporary and class permanent over-ridden by an unsustainable workload.

We'll plough on in similar fashion to Spurs this Tuesday, Villa on Saturday and Baku the Wednesday after that before returning to the good old Etihad in a fortnight - a schedule that now stretches before us like a prison sentence. This was a chance to stop the rot - a chance that was missed.

Sitting twelfth with 13 games to go, Eddie Howe's side are ten points off the top five and ten points off the bottom three. Neither look likely, at the moment. 

Biffa