Bournemouth: Newcastle United manager Rafa Benitez bemoaned the lack of experience in his young squad as the club battle for Premier League survival.

The league’s second youngest team let a two-goal lead slip in the 2-2 draw with Bournemouth last weekend to drop back into the relegation scrap and are just two points above 18th-placed Swansea City.

The Spanish boss said his team needed more experience to help them through tough situations.

“You have to keep going until the game ends but you have to stay calm and make the right decisions,” Benitez said.

“This is what can happen when you play at this level against very good players. Our team is a young team and we need a bit more experience to manage situations like this.

“We have a situation where we are creating chances but missing a little bit this experience or quality.”

The draw was a sobering experience after Newcastle’s shock 1-0 win over Manchester United earlier this month and Benitez will be eager for his side to bounce back when they travel to Liverpool on Saturday.

Bournemouth captain Simon Francis has requested fans to back the Premier League club after being booed during the draw against Newcastle.

Bournemouth players were jeered off the pitch at half-time by a section of home fans after a brace by Newcastle striker Dwight Gayle handed the visitors a 2-0 lead at Vicarage Road.

“To get booed off at half-time was disappointing, not by all the fans of course. We are trying our hardest and are not a group of players who are going to chuck in the towel,” Francis told the Daily Echo.

“That’s not what we did at Huddersfield and that’s not what we did against Newcastle. If we could get the same support for the whole game like we did in the last 20 minutes then it would help us turn round results quicker.”

The 33-year-old also credited the home fans for their raucous support in the final stages when Eddie Howe’s side launched a late comeback to secure a draw.

“I was a little surprised some of the fans jeered and booed but, for the last 20 minutes, they were phenomenal and we are going to need more for that for the rest of the season,” Francis added.

“Maybe expectations are that we can go on and achieve much more and I agree with that. But the only way we are going to achieve more is if we do it together and the fans are behind us.” Bournemouth are 11th in the league and travel to Leicester City on Saturday.