Rafael Benitez refused to vent his frustration as Newcastle allowed two precious Premier League points to slip from their grasp once more against Burnley.

As he awaited the completion of the loan signing of Leicester striker Islam Slimani, Benitez saw Joselu miss a first-half penalty and then pass up a glorious late opportunity to add to Jamaal Lascelles’ 65th-minute strike before Burnley substitute Sam Vokes’ late header bounced in off keeper Karl Darlow.

With fans in the Gallowgate end displaying a banner with a quote attributed to former boss Kevin Keegan asserting that the club is bigger than controversial owner Mike Ashley, the mood was rebellious but the Spaniard did not to add to it.

He said: “I saw the banner, but my focus was on the game.

“It’s a not a question of me complaining or moaning – that will not change anything, so it’s just to be sure we maximise what we have and we can win games, that’s it.”

The Magpies have not won a league fixture at St James’ Park since October 21, a run of eight games, and they have collected only three of the 24 points on offer in the process.

They climbed a place to 14th as a result of their latest draw, but they remain just a point clear of the drop zone and in desperate need of a boost.

Asked if he was concerned by the home form, Benitez said: “It depends what you mean by form. If you mean the results, yes, we have to improve.

“But if you are talking about how we are playing, against Swansea, we did well; against Everton, we did well; against Bournemouth in the first half, we did well and today we had enough chances to win the game.

“But we didn’t do it and then sometimes this experience and the pressure you feel makes you make more mistakes.”

For all the Magpies had their chances, so too did the visitors and manager Sean Dyche was astonished not to be awarded a penalty when midfielder Jack Cork fell over a prone Paul Dummett seconds before Ashley Barnes saw a goal chalked off for a push on Lascelles.

Dyche said: “Don’t get me wrong, the lad slipped – I think it was Dummett – I think he slipped, but once he’s slipped, he’s made sure that Cork can’t get to the ball and that’s a penalty, quite obviously.

“Even after that – I don’t know if you remember, but Ashley Barnes has taken it on his chest and when you see it, he puts his hand on the back of the defender and he goes down.

“I was amazed by that. I was a defender and I can’t remember ever doing that, but he gets the foul, so what can you do?”

Dyche also confirmed that midfielder Steven Defour faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines after being told he needs knee surgery.

He said: “He has seen a specialist and will have to have an operation, which is a real blow, something out of the blue.”