Match ratings: How did Newcastle United's players rate in FA Cup win?

Matt Ritchie.Matt Ritchie.
Matt Ritchie.
Rafa Benitez's Magpies cruised to a 3-1 win over Birmingham City to seal their place in the fourth round of the FA Cup.

But how did the players rate?

NUFC XI

Matz Sels - Could do very little about the goal. A solid return between the sticks... 7

DeAndre Yedlin - Gave United a real outlet down the right in the opening 45 with one or two lung-busting runs... 6

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Grant Hanley - Solid and dependable, one or two crunching challenges early on... 6

Stuart Findlay - Could not fault the youngster on debut... 6

Achraf Lazaar - One of the stand out players on the night. Excellent going forward and at the back... 7

Matt Ritchie - Took his penalty expertly and could have easily had a second but for the post... 7

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Jonjo Shelvey - You can see just why NUFC have missed him. Ran the game as if he had never been away... 8

Cheick Tiote - Worked hard but struggled to keep up with the pace of the game... 6

Dan Barlaser - Completed the full 90. Showed some flashes of promise. Did the simple things well... 7

Yasin El-Mhanni - Tightly marked. Got little chance to show his set of skills... 6

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Yoan Gouffran - Looked totally at home in a central striking role... 7

Subs

Ayoze Perez (for El-Mhanni, 69) Little chance to impress... 6

Isaac Hayden (for Yedlin 74) Put himself about when United needed to get a grip on the game... 6

Jack Colback (for Tiote 83) N/A

Subs not used: Rob Elliot, Paul Dummett, Jamaal Lascelles, Daryl Murphy.

Yellow: Tiote 67

Red: None

Goal(s): Ritchie 9

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Birmingham XI: Adam Lezdins 6, Jonathan Grounds 6, Paul Robinson 6, Ryan Shotton 6, Maikel Kieftenbeld (Diego Fabrini, 80,N/A) 6, Robert Tesche 6, David Cotterill 6, Che Adams 6, Viv Solomon-Otabor (Lukas Jutkiewicz 64, 6) 6, Josh Dacres-Cogley 6, David Davis (Reece Brown 64, 6) 6.

Subs not used: Tomasz Kuszczak, Michael Morrison, Jonathan Spector, Stephen Gleeson.

Yellow: Legzdins

Red: None

Goal(s): Cotterill 72

Referee: Lee Probert - Called the penalty right. Had very little else to do... 7

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