Newcastle remain unbeaten at home since January after 1-1 draw with Brighton but - with Europa League qualification at stake - it represents scant reward, writes JASON MELLOR

Roberto De Zerbi couldn't contain his frustration as he smashed his fist into the dugout but Newcastle had more reason to rue an outcome that did little for their European hopes.

The Brighton boss took his anger out on the perspex covering at his side's sluggish start, but they recovered sufficiently to come away with a deserved point to dent the hosts' bid for a top-six finish.

Newcastle remain unbeaten at home since January, but at a juncture of the campaign where it's all about wins, a share of the spoils represents scant reward.

An eighth of the season from Sean Longstaff cancelled out a rare appearance on the scoresheet by Brighton defender Joel Veltman as both goals arrived before half-time. It ensured an outcome which leaves Eddie Howe's side in all likelihood needing to win their remaining two games to clinch a Europa League place next season.

In truth, neither side did enough to merit victory and Brighton remain without a win on the road in six attempts. A point keeps them in the hunt for a top-10 finish and it will not be lost on Newcastle that de Zerbi's men can do them a big favour in midweek with a victory over Chelsea, one of the Geordies' rivals for a European spot.

Brighton took an 18th-minute lead when Veltman reacted first to Danny Welbeck's knockdown from a Pascal Gross corner to poke home his first goal for 14 months from close range.

Julio Enciso should have doubled the lead before the break but the unmarked midfielder was unable to keep his diving header on target from Simon Adingra's inviting cross in a swift Brighton counter-attack from their own half.

It proved to be a costly miss as deep into first-half stoppage-time Longstaff rounded off a move he had launched on halfway.

The midfielder had earlier sent a point-blank header straight at Bart Verbruggen from Anthony Gordon's corner, but made no mistake this time, finding the net with a crisp first-time finish from Elliot Anderson's low cut-back after Gordon's trickery had engineered space in the visitors' box.

The second-half was largely a non-event. Substitute Harvey Barnes skied a presentable late chance from inside the area as Newcastle pushed for the win. Gordon had the ball in the net at the death from Miguel Almiron's square pass, but the effort was rightly ruled out for offside.