Dwight Gayle scored his first goal for Newcastle United but the Magpies slipped to a 2-1 home defeat against Huddersfield Town on Saturday in the Sky Bet Championship.

The summer signing netted midway through the second period at St. James' Park, cancelling out Nahki Wells' opener which gave the Terriers a half-time lead.

However, substitute Jack Payne secured all three points for the visitors with a late effort at the Leazes End.

United had the better of the first half, with Gayle, Chancel Mbemba and Isaac Hayden all seeing headed chances come and go. Jonjo Shelvey also had a free-kick saved but it was Huddersfield who drew first blood right on the stroke of half-time, when Wells swept home Rajiv van La Parra's pass.

Debutant Mohamed Diame forced a penalty for the hosts on the hour mark, with Mark Hudson handling the midfielder's knock-down. And although Gayle saw his spot-kick saved, the front man was on hand to nod in the rebound.

It looked as though the game was heading for a draw but the Terriers had other ideas and, with time running out, Payne raced clear to slot past Matz Sels and condemn Newcastle to back-to-back defeats.

Rafa Benitez's side will look to bounce back to winning ways when Reading come to St. James' Park on Wednesday (7.45pm kick-off).

Roared on by a sell-out crowd, United raced out of the traps and should have broken the deadlock with less than three minutes on the clock.

After a spell of patient passing, right-back Daryl Janmaat drove an inch-perfect, diagonal pass over the Terriers' rearguard to pick out Gayle. The front man attempted to nod the ball over goalkeeper Danny Ward, who was caught in no-man's land, but sent his effort agonisingly wide of the upright.

But Huddersfield weathered the early storm and soon settled into their stride, with Nahki Wells firing over from the edge of the area, and Elias Kachunga cutting in off the left flank to send a low drive off the foot of the post.

The Magpies were soon back on the front foot and Mbemba saw a top corner-bound header clawed behind by Ward, before Hayden nodded the resulting corner powerfully over the top.

Shelvey was next to try his luck, bending a low, 20-yard free-kick around the wall but unable to beat Wales international Ward, who smothered down to his left.

The Terriers had always looked a threat on the break and so it proved, right on the stroke of half-time.

Rajiv van La Parra was given time and space to make his way towards the edge of the area, and when the Dutch winger delivered into the danger zone, Wells was on hand to hook a left-footed strike into the bottom corner.

That stunned Newcastle, who responded by introducing winger Matt Ritchie at half-time for his home debut, and the former Bournemouth man immediately set about injecting some life into the hosts in the final third.

And it wasn't too long before they equalised, courtesy of Gayle's first goal for the Club.

When Diame chested down Janmaat's inswinging cross, the ball bounced up and struck the arm of Terriers captain Mark Hudson.

Referee Oliver Langford had no hesitation in pointing to the spot, and although Gayle saw his spot kick parried by Ward, the ex-Crystal Palace man was on hand to head home the rebound.

No sooner had United levelled, they should have edged in front.

A lovely, passing move, working the ball from right to left, saw Paul Dummett whip a brilliant cross in from the left which Ritchie stole in front of his marker to meet but somehow headed down into the turf and wide.

And that was to prove costly as, with eight minutes remaining, Huddersfield edged back in front. Substitute Palmer picked out fellow replacement Payne in space, racing through the centre, and the midfielder kept his composure to fire past Sels and give the visitors a famous victory.