Newcastle United succumbed to a seventh defeat on the bounce this afternoon, going down 3-2 to Swansea City at St James' Park.

Despite taking the lead, John Carver's men failed to capitalise on Ayoze Perez's 20th minute tap in, allowing Nelson Oliveira to equalise during first-half injury time.

Icelandic midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson put Swansea ahead after good work from Jefferson Montero, before Jack Cork sealed the points.

Substitute Siem De Jong, who has been out injured since October, did add a late consolation for the Magpies thanks to a smart volley from a Jack Colback cross.

Below, Sports Mole rates the players involved on either side.

NEWCASTLE

Goal

Tim Krul: Had little chance with the first or third goals, but a poor kick allowed Swansea to break forward and score their second. Made some routine stops as Swansea dominated after the break. (5/10)

Defence

Daryl Janmaat: Took a blow to the face late in the first half, from which he never fully recovered. Replaced on 61 minutes, after Swansea had got in down his side to score their second goal. (5/10)

Mike Williamson: Clumsy in possession and unaware out of it, the centre-back struggled all day, despite Swansea lacking a real top-class striker. Not the answer to any question the Magpies might be asking. (4/10)

Fabricio Coloccini: Looked worse next to Williamson and was often caught out of position. He was certainly the better of the partnership, although that is not saying much. (5/10)

Vurnon Anita: A rare bright spot during another awful Newcastle afternoon. Attacked positively down the left, particularly during the first half. Booked. (7/10)

Midfield

Ryan Taylor: Sitting in a relatively unfamiliar position in front of the back four, he often found himself in the way of the two defenders, only adding to the confusion at the back for his team. (5/10)

Jack Colback: Supplied an excellent cross for De Jong's late goal. The ex-Sunderland man looks as if he is one of very few willing to fight for the cause. Not afraid to shy away from putting effort in or make a challenge, his teammates could learn a lot from him. (7/10)

Remy Cabella: Absolutely anonymous in an attacking sense, the Frenchman basically disappeared when Swansea started to get on top. A luxury player for a team that needs much, much more. (5/10)

Jonas Gutierrez: Tried very hard and is another who will definitely fight for the cause. Showed some neat touches in midfield without creating much for others. (6/10)

Attack

Ayoze Perez: Scorer of the first goal, the striker displayed good awareness to be in the right place to take advantage of a mistake. Perhaps should have done better with a chance that he was presented with during the second half. (6/10)

Emmanuel Riviere: Started well, setting up Perez for the opener. He then had a header very well saved, before drifting out of sight in the second half, like many others. (6/10)

Substitutes

Medhi Abeid: On for the final half an hour in place of the injured Janmaat, his day was made easier when Montero departed. (5/10)

Siem De Jong: Out since October with a collapsed lung, the midfielder returned off the bench to volley home an excellent goal near the end. If Newcastle win again this season, De Jong might have something to do with it. (7/10)

Adam Armstrong: Displayed a lot of effort, as you would expect from a young player coming on. Had one half-chance which he skewed well wide of the target. (5/10)

SWANSEA

Goal

Lukasz Fabianski: Cannot be blamed for the goal, which was Amat's fault. Made an excellent save to keep the score at 1-0 before having little to deal with during the second period. (6/10)

Defence

Angel Rangel: In the team thanks to Kyle Naughton's season-ending injury, he struggled to contain Newcastle down his side before the break. Better once Newcastle eased off in the second half. (6/10)

Ashley Williams: A constant threat from set pieces, the Swans captain was comfortable at the back on the whole. (6/10)

Federico Fernández: Grew into the game after looking slightly sluggish early on. Caught a little flat footed for De Jong's goal, although that does some disservice to the quality of Colback's pass. (6/10)

Jordi Amat: Makeshift left-back, in the team thanks to Neil Taylor's two-game ban. His mistake knocked the ball into Perez's path, leaving his goalkeeper helpless. (5/10)

Midfield

Jonjo Shelvey: A quiet game from a player usually involved in the thick of things. Only had one of his traditional pot shots; a swerving effort that forced a save from Krul. (6/10)

Jack Cork: Scored an well-worked goal, exchanging passes with Oliviera before slotting home. Was outpaced in the build up to Perez's opener, but played well generally. (6/10)

Jefferson Montero: A great player to watch, the winger is someone who clearly loves running at defenders and scaring them into mistakes. Set up Sigurdsson's goal very well. (7/10)

Gylfi Sigurdsson: After supplying the equaliser via a corner, the Icelandic star waltzed into space to calmly give his side the lead just after the break. (8/10)

Nathan Dyer: Started really brightly, getting involved in all of Swansea's best moves in the first half. Faded after the break. (6/10)

Attack

Nelson Oliviera: Opened his account for the Swans through a powerful header, before playing a key role in both of the team's second-half goals. His best display in a Swansea shirt to date. (8/10)

Substitutes

Matt Grimes: Showed willing, but was nowhere near as threatening as Montero had been previously. (5/10)

Ki Sung-yueng: Introduced to keep things ticking over. (6/10)

Marvin Emnes: Came on for Sigurdsson during the final 10 minutes. (5/10)

Written by
Joe McPhee