Hall still holding on to European hope

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Newcastle's Lewis Hall has refused to give up on Europe as the Magpies look to salvage their season.

Eddie Howe's side are 13th in the Premier League after Sunday's 1-1 draw at Nottingham Forest.

Harvey Barnes' 16th goal of the season looked like sending the visitors ninth to boost their slim European hopes.

But Elliot Anderson's late equaliser, against his boyhood club, denied them and left Newcastle six points adrift of seventh-placed Brighton in a congested fight for Europe.

"We are relying on other results as well which is never what you want to be doing," said full-back Hall. "We need to be focused on winning the next two games and if it puts us in that position we can be really happy with how we have turned it around.

"Any European football would be good for the club and the fans. They have stuck with us in a difficult period so if we can give them something to be happy about at the end of the season we'll be happy."

The Magpies came fifth last season but have dropped 27 points this term from winning positions to end their hopes of a Champions League return.

They host West Ham on Saturday before ending the season at Fulham, with Hall denying the team is too fragile when defending a lead.

"I wouldn't say soft but it is something we've looked at and something to try to put right," he said.

"Throughout the season you are going to lose points from winning positions - 27 sounds a lot but in seasons where we have done well we've always dropped points from winning positions.

"It's a big number, we have two games left and have to try not to let it happen again."