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We have to keep fighting, says Ayoze
Written by Tom Easterby
Ayoze Perez says Newcastle United won't let up in their pursuit of Sky Bet Championship glory this season, insisting that United will "keep fighting" for their place at the top of the table.
Perez played the full 90 minutes in the Magpies 2-0 win at Leeds United on Sunday, which extended their winning streak to nine games in all competitions.
The victory - which was sealed by leading goalscorer Dwight Gayle's brace - gave United a five-point lead over Brighton & Hove Albion at the division's summit.
And the Spaniard says that while spirits in the Newcastle camp are as high as ever, the hard work won't stop, with Blackburn Rovers the visitors to St. James' Park next weekend.
"We are doing well, and this is a good thing for the team. The atmosphere is really good," the 23-year-old told nufc.co.uk.
"We have to keep doing the same things; keep pushing, keep working, because it is working for us at the minute, and this is the way - there is no other way, so we have to keep fighting.
"We couldn't wait any more to be on the pitch again (after the international break). It's good that we had a great performance and did really well, and that's why we won.
"It was a tough game for us, and we knew that they were doing really well. We had to perform and do our jobs to get the win, and we did that.
"Sometimes you have to fight to get the points - even more so when you're playing away from home. We did really well today, we stuck together and managed to get the win."
Without managing to get on the scoresheet himself, Perez turned in a tireless display at Elland Road.
And he is hopeful that he's done enough to retain his place in the starting line-up for next Saturday's visit of Owen Coyle's Rovers.
"We can create a lot of chances, and whoever is playing can score. The main thing is the winning though, and we have done that today," he said. "We're still top of the table, and now we're thinking about the next game against Blackburn at home, and doing the same then.
"We've got to think about the next game, and think about what we have to do. We have to keep pushing and do our jobs. If we keep winning, we're going to be up there.
"I'm working really hard to be in the team every week, and I'm trying to do my best. Hopefully I can be in team again next week, and we can get another win."
On the 2,700 supporters who made the trip to Yorkshire, Perez added: "It's really important, because we needed them. It was always going to be a tough game, really hard, as they were doing well, so we needed them.
"They were supporting until the end, and that's really important for us. We are together in this fight."
"Sometimes you have to fight to get the points - even more so when you're playing away from home. We did really well today, we stuck together and managed to get the win."