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This video can not be played Injury-time Mateta penalty seals comeback win for Palace against Newcastle It was a different stadium, but an all too familiar story for Newcastle United. Once again, Eddie Howe's side conspired to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory after the visitors conceded two late goals in a 2-1 loss against Crystal Palace on Sunday. Once again, dazed players and staff trudged over to applaud their supporters at Selhurst Park at full-time after throwing away another lead. This was hardly the resounding response to a damaging Tyne-Wear derby defeat that Howe needed as his future comes under increasing scrutiny. Newcastle have now slipped to 14th place. "I understand there's anger and frustration, " he said. "I'm not blind to anything. " This video can not be played Palace defeat a 'deflating feeling' - Howe To think these players had the benefit of a rare period of time with Howe on the training pitches during the three-week break between games. This is where the Newcastle manager and his staff have previously come into their own, improving individuals who were signed and inherited with their intense, demanding drills and eye for detail. Such productivity was at the heart of Newcastle ending a 70-year wait for a major domestic trophy by winning the League Cup last season and qualifying for the Champions League in 2025 and 2023. Those hours have been at a premium during a relentless campaign this time around. Yet former England goalkeeper and Match of the Day pundit Ben Foster suspected there would be some "weird and wonderful" results this weekend due to teams' contrasting schedules. "It's hard to get into a rhythm of things when you haven't played for such a long time, " he said. "It depends where you are in the league but I think for some teams it suits them better to have a game every three or four days rather than three weeks off. " Although a number of Howe's players were away on international duty for most of the gap between games, these past few days still felt like the ideal period for the squad to regroup. Not least when they were facing a Crystal Palace side who had only played in Europe on Thursday and benched key players such as Adam Wharton, Ismaila Sarr and Jean-Philippe Mateta, who ended up turning the game on its head during a match-winning cameo. However, on this evidence, there is little to suggest Newcastle are about to finally go on a run and qualify for Europe. "I always have to look at myself first, " Howe said. "I always say that. I'm number one accountable. " Mateta's late Palace double strike stuns Newcastle Newcastle United have dropped five more points from winning positions than any other side in the Premier League Howe issued similar words after a bruising defeat against bitter rivals Sunderland last time out. A response was sorely needed and the Newcastle head coach attempted to jolt his side by wielding the axe. Stalwarts Dan Burn and Kieran Trippier were dropped as Howe made six changes and named a noticeably younger starting line-up. Aaron Ramsdale, Sven Botman, Joelinton and stand-in captain Jacob Murphy were the only starters over the age of 25, yet that was not the most striking aspect of this team selection. In a rather damning indictment of Newcastle's recruitment last summer, which he was heavily involved in, Howe named just one of his five outfield signings in his starting line-up, defender Malick Thiaw. It meant that forward William Osula was handed a rare league start and selected ahead of £124m pair Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa, having come mightily close to joining Eintracht Frankfurt back in September. "I don't pick the team based on transfer fees, " Howe said. "I pick the team based on what I see. " Despite a flat display from the visitors, it looked like those calls were going to pay off, after Osula repaid Howe's faith with a well-taken opener. But a lack of control has been a recurring theme this season and Newcastle have dropped more points from winning positions than any other team in the Premier League. Football does not work like this, of course, but if Newcastle managed to hang on and claim even 13 of the 25 points they squandered, Howe's men would be joint-fourth in the table. The Newcastle head coach maintains he does not instruct his players to go into protection mode. But this has been a recurring issue throughout a sapping campaign as goalkeeper Ramsdale needed no reminding. "It's probably the story of our season, " he told Sky Sports. "Getting into winning positions and not being able to hold on. "I can't really put my finger on it. " Howe, too, recognised they were "incredible numbers", which had "blighted" Newcastle's season. Leads have also been thrown away against Arsenal, West Ham, Brentford (home and away), Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea, Liverpool, Sunderland and, now, Crystal Palace. A side which once had a nasty edge at their best under Howe over the years has rapidly become soft. Even if the opposition go behind, they now know the game is far from over and Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner tellingly "kept believing" as he made smart use of his substitutions. "The Newcastle centre-backs looked fatigued in the end, " he said. It does not look like it is about to get any easier for Newcastle. Howe has fond memories from his time at Bournemouth, but his former club will sense a huge opportunity to extend their unbeaten run when they visit St James' Park next week. Then Newcastle go to league leaders Arsenal before potentially sticky games against Brighton, Nottingham Forest, West Ham and Fulham. It feels like the club are rapidly approaching a crossroads and Howe recognised, himself, this week that it was "very difficult" to look beyond the run-in. It sounds like he is about to double down. "A couple of games ago we beat Chelsea away and beat Manchester United and you sit here off the back of a disappointing run and the outside noise is to change everything, " he added. "Sometimes you have got to believe in what you do but, of course, we have to execute it better. " Latest Newcastle news, analysis and fan views Ask about Newcastle - what do you want to know? Comments can not be loaded To load Comments you need to enable Java Script in your browser Mc Ilroy wins second successive Masters and sixth major - reaction Man City smell blood - why Arsenal should fear title rivals Will Romero's tears become the enduring image of Tottenham's season? 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