Colback: Newcastle United shot themselves in the foot

Colback netted in yesterday’s 1-1 draw at St James’s Park.

But the midfielder was left disappointed that his third strike for the club didn’t prove to be a winning goal.

Peter Crouch claimed a point for the visitors with a 90th-minute goal.

Colback, booked for a challenge on Marc Muniesa, also admitted he was fortunate to have still be on the field when Moussa Sissoko rolled the ball to him, having escaped a second yellow card for a foul on Victor Moses.

Stoke manager Mark Hughes claimed referee Kevin Friend should have been “stronger” – and sent the 25-year-old off.

Colback admitted: “If I’d seen a second yellow, I couldn’t have felt too aggrieved. I caught him, but you ride your luck sometimes.”

United head coach John Carver bemoaned a lack of “professionalism” near the end, and Colback said: “We’ve got to manage the game better towards the end – we shot ourselves in the foot.

“I think a draw would have been deserving for both sides, but once you get in that position, you’ve got to kill the game off and take the three points, but we’ve been punished.”

Colback squeezed the ball between Asmir Begovic and the left-hand post in the 75th minute.

“It came from Gabby (Obertan) when he came on – he was put on to stretch the game with the pace he’s got – and it worked,” said Colback.

“He created the goal and Moussa laid it off. As soon as he laid it off, I knew where I was going to hit it.

“It was nice to see it go in, but disappointing it hasn’t been the winning goal. It’s great (to score), especially in front of the Gallowgate.

“It’s always a special moment, but we’ve got to see the game out. We didn’t manage it well enough.”