Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew has refused to criticise his players for succumbing to a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Sunderland and insisted that they did "everything they could".
In Sunday's Tyne-Wear derby at St James' Park, Adam Johnson was the match-winner for the third year in a row as he collected Will Buckley's layoff before firing home in the 89th minute to break Magpie hearts.
Pardew told Sky Sports News after the game: "We were chasing the game and in terms of cover committing we had warned the players that Sunderland might score that way, and we were punished... I am not going to criticise my players. They put in everything they could.
"It is disappointing for our fans. Losing four times in a row against Sunderland is a tag that is going to stick on me now so I will have to wear it.
"I am proud of how the team approached the game today. It wasn't our day. Criticism that might come my way or the teams way, we will have to accept. We can't listen or absorb it, we have to prepare ourselves for the next game."
Newcastle sit ninth in the Premier League table following the derby defeat, five places above Sunderland.
Giuseppe Labellarte
