NUFC - Benitez not concerned with performance after Notts Forest defeat

Newcastle's below-par performance in their Carabao Cup defeat to Nottingham Forest did not concern manager Rafa Benitez.

The Magpies never got going at the City Ground and were outplayed by their Championship hosts, who progressed to the third round with a 3-1 victory.

Benitez's side did not manage a shot on target until Salomon Rondon's equalising goal in injury time, which cancelled out Daryl Murphy's second-minute opener for Forest. However, further goals in injury time from Matty Cash and Gil Dias saw Forest progress.

I don't agree that they were the better team and I am not concerned with how we played,'' said Benitez.

I'm really pleased with the players that were on the pitch because they were trying their best.

We are disappointed that we lost the game - and even more was the way we lost, we conceded early goal, they were not creating clear chances. We didn't have clear chances either.

Our players seemed to do well in terms of effort, they were working hard, and the positive thing for me is you could see the reaction from the team. But the decisions weren't in our favour and that was difficult to take.''

Benitez was referring to an incident deep into injury time which denied Newcastle the chance to equalise for a second time in the match.

The visitors were denied a penalty when Forest goalkeeper Luke Steele charged into Ayoze Perez but referee Jeremy Simpson was unmoved and Dias compounded the decision by going up the other end and scoring the third goal.

Benitez said: Everybody saw what happened at the end. It's not the first time this year this has happened. The way you lose you have to be disappointed.

After the penalty appeal, we had the feeling we deserved more.''

Forest boss Aitor Karanka felt his team demonstrated how good they can be when they are able to play free of pressure.

He said: Without the pressure of the league, we showed that we are a very good team. Now we have to learn, we have to be ourselves and we have to take that pressure off.

Today we played without pressure, because it was a cup game and we did not have to win three points. We went to the pitch just thinking about the game.

If we can forget the pressure, we are a very good team.'