ALEX Neil was left to rue his side's stoppage time defending as they fell to a dramatic 4-3 loss at Newcastle United.

City were leading 3-2 in injury time, but Newcastle remarkably struck twice in the dying moments of the contest through Yoan Gouffran and Dwight Gayle to steal all three points.

"I thought it was absolutely unbelievable," Neil told Norwich City TV after the game.

"In stoppage time, for the first three minutes we were fine, we cleared our lines and we won our headers, and they didn't do anything out of the ordinary.

"You go and head it, you kick it, you clear your lines and you see the game out. Teams do it up and down the country week-in, week-out.

"There was 90 seconds left and we were winning 3-2, but we don't defend our box well enough. They score, and then it was a straight ball down the middle of the park.

"All we needed to do was clear our lines, but we don't. It dropped to Gayle and he sticks it in the net, and it was so frustrating because we had done enough to win the game."

Neil expanded on his frustrations, especially after he felt his side had done enough to win the game after going 3-1 despite Newcastle taking a first half lead through Gayle, who would go on to complete a hat-trick.

"They worked as hard as you could possibly as them to work. It was honest bits where they went to try and win the header and not won it," added City's boss.

"I can't say anything negative about them, apart from the fact that we didn't defend our box well enough.

"The boys gave everything they got and we lost the game. It's so disappointing and I'm disappointed for them as well."

ALEX NEIL ON NEWCASTLE DEFEAT

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