COMMENT

Newcastle United were forced to share the points with Crystal Palace after a tightly fought 1-1 draw at Selhurst Park in their Premier League clash on Sunday. The Magpies took the lead in the first half thanks to Mohamed Diame's second goal of the season, the 30-year-old poking home unmarked at the back post after a corner which squirmed its way through the packed box. However Rafael Benitez's side could not hold off the Eagles and keep a clean sheet, with Luka Milvojevic slotting home from a penalty after Ciaran Clark's tug on Christian Benteke, despite Karl Darlow getting a hand to the ball from the spot kick.   So who shone for the Magpies at Selhurst Park and who let the Toon Army down? Here,

Football Insider 

rates each of the Magpies' stars out of 10, including one under pressure man who starred with a 9/10 performance.

Click below to reveal the first of our ratings...

Goalkeeper and defenders

Karl Darlow - 9: 

With January signing Martin Dubravka breathing down his neck, the Slovakian international on the bench, the former Nottingham Forest man knew that he would have to be on top of his game to keep his place in the starting XI. He did just that, commanding his box, pulling off a handful of saves and showing great presence to deny the Eagles. Unlucky with the penalty, and kept going until the final whistle. Man of the match.

DeAndre Yedlin - 5: 

The American was put up against the pace and trickery of Wilfried Zaha and for much of the game he struggled to contain the Palace man's talents. However he did offer something of a threat going forward but his crossing left much to be desired.

Jamaal Lascelles - 7: 

A commanding presence in the heart of defence, he was tested early on to deny a quick break from the home side, but showed good pace and awareness to stop the Magpies falling behind. He dealt with nearly everything which came his way via the air.

Ciaran Clark - 6:

With Florian Lejeune waiting on the bench, a poor performance could have meant an immediate axe, and in conceding a penalty for a needless tug on Christian Benteke he might have sealed his own future.

Paul Dummett - 7: 

While the Welsh international is not the potent threat in the attacking third that the likes of Yedlin is, he is a no-nonsense defender who does the basics to the best of his ability. He dominated the likes of Andros Townsend on Newcastle's left flank, and is without a doubt the club's first choice left back.

Click below to reveal the ratings of the Newcastle midfielders...

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Midfielders

Jonjo Shelvey - 6: 

Back into the starting XI to replace Mikel Merino, he showed just what a potent threat he can pose to the opposition. He dictated the midfield with his wide range of passing and fed his team mates further up the field.

Mohamed Diame - 8: 

The former fringe figure has been revitalised in recent weeks, putting in a top drawer performance against Burnley last time out before opening the scoring at Selhurst Park with a well taken poacher's goal from a corner. In the midfield he was a dominating presence, using his physicality to pull off some impressive tackles.

Matt Ritchie - 6: 

Still not the same top performer he has shown during his career with the Magpies, the Scotland international put in a solid display at both ends of the pitch, threatening with his crosses while also pulling off some crucial tackles at the back.

Kenedy - 7: 

The January arrival shone against Burnley on his debut and continued to impress against the Eagles on Sunday. A constant thorn in the side of the Palace defence, he has pace and close control, as well as a physicality that the likes of Jacob Murphy and Christian Atsu lack.

Click below to reveal the ratings for the Newcastle forwards...

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Forwards

Ayoze Perez - 8: 

Utilised as a second striker behind former Palace man Gayle, the Spaniard showed signs of why he started the season as a favourite under Rafael Benitez, and even managed to threaten Wayne Hennessey with a shot or two in the first half. Not the natural playmaker the manager wants there, he is the best option at the moment.

Dwight Gayle - 5: 

Leading the line against his old club would have been daunting enough, but he came up against a very physical backline which offered him very little during the opening 45 minutes. The balls which came his way were too high for him to win headers, and drilled crosses tended to find a blue and red shirt instead.

Click below to reveal how the Newcastle substitutes got on...

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Substitutes

Christian Atsu (56') - 6: 

Replacing Kenedy on the left flank just after Newcastle conceded the lead. Struggled to have the same impact as his counterpart as Palace ran the game for most of the time he was on the pitch.

Isaac Hayden (65') - 5: 

Brought on to bolster the midfielder after goalscorer Diame limped off with an injury. A really quiet display considering how much pressure Newcastle came under, and more would have been expected in his efforts to break up the home side's play.

Mikel Merino (80') - 6: 

Was given 10 minutes to strut his stuff and had more of an impact that Hayden did in his time on the pitch. Still uncertain whether he is at full fitness or whether the back injury suffered is still affecting his ability, as he really should be one of the first names on the team sheet. In other Newcastle United news,

the club tabled a last minute bid to snap up a top flight striker.