Rafa Benitez has implored his Newcastle United players to continue fighting until the very last moment of the Premier League season.

Sunday's 1-1 draw in the Tyne-Wear derby with local rivals Sunderland saw the Magpies remain second bottom on the table, four points from safety with eight fixtures left.

Regarding their relegation battle, interim boss Benitez is well aware it is going to be a tricky task and feels his team is beginning to improve in order to stave off the drop, albeit in small stages.

"It was scary before," said the Spaniard when asked if the task looks scary.

"I am here because I have to give the team confidence and we have to improve things. Again I will say at Leicester, you could see a lot of good things; still not enough. Today in the second half, a lot of good things; not enough.

"We have eight games to play and we know they will be incredibly difficult. We know it will be difficult, for sure. I knew before.

"We are creating chances, we are attacking and we can be there, so we have to improve this part of the game and create more chances and [Aleksandar] Mitrovic or Papiss Cisse or the other strikers will score more goals and we will be fine.

"But I can maybe say that we will have to fight until the last game and the last minute, so we have to do it."

Aleksandar Mitrovic scored a late equaliser at St James' Park after Jermain Defoe had opened the accepting for the Black Cats on the stroke of half-time.