GRAEME SOUNESS claimed he was satisfied with his team's performance last night, despite a small section of the crowd booing as the side went off at the end.

The Newcastle boss saw his young and inexperienced, under-strength side claim the point needed against Sporting Lisbon to top Group D and ensure they miss out on meeting one of the losing Champions League teams dropping into the last 32 of the competition.

The game was anything but pretty, but Souness believes a draw was a good result in the circumstances.

"With the team we had out tonight, I think we've played a type of game were we had to get a result," said Souness.

"We had a relatively inexperienced side and we've worked hard against a team good on the ball and had lots of the ball; which is not ideal at home.

"Our goalkeeper has not had a save to make, so we must have done something right.

"I can understand some of our supporters not enjoying the game because they want us on the front foot, but I would ask them to look at the team I have had to put out.''

Souness confessed he is glad to see the back of the competition until the knock out stage in February so he can get his injured players back in action.

He said: "The team we have fielded gives you an idea of the strength of our squad.

"There is no doubt about it, but playing every Thursday night has hurt us.

"We have had a lot of physically demanding games and picked up lots of muscle and fatigue injuries and that is down to playing so many games, so I am glad to see the back of it.

"We were very disciplined and we limited them to very little.

"We have not created much but we didn't have too because we only needed a draw to get through, and that is exactly what we have done with an under-strength team. They deserve a great deal of credit and done everything I asked of them, except win the game.

Souness added: "You want to finish first in the group and we've done that and we have played some very good football along the way.

"This was a different type of football, but we have achieved what we planned to achieve.

"We have a treatment room full of players with muscle fatigue injuries because we have played too many games. We hope to have several of our players back for Sunday's game against Liverpool. That will be a very different game.

"They will feel like we did after Saturday's game against Portsmouth, extremely frustrated and extremely angry with themselves and they'll be out to prove a point and it should be a cracking game."

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