JOSE MOURINHO accused Newcastle United of poor sportsmanship during his side’s defeat at St James’ Park.

The Chelsea manager blamed the ball boys for deliberately holding up play in the closing stages at St James’ Park, with the Blues trailing by one goal.

And while he called his own side’s performance unlucky as their 23-game unbeaten run came to an end, Mourinho suspected foul play at hand when it come to the last ten minutes of the game, after Didier Drogba reduced the deficit following Papiss Cisse’s brace.

“They did what they always do,” explained Mourinho. “They defended. They fought hard. They tried to counter attack when it was possible. This is the way they play against us.

“And sometimes there were two balls. And it is not possible to play with two balls. Sometimes there was zero balls and that also helps to cut the dynamic of the team who is trying to win the game.”

When asked if he would use the same tactics if he were in Newcastle’s position, Mourinho replied: “With balls? No. With anything? You may as well put a cow in the middle of the pitch, walking. And then stop the game because there was a cow.

“You cannot do just anything in football. You have to defend. You have to defend with your ten men, put the ten in front of the goal line, bring the bus, but football needs a ball, not two or zero.

“Do what you can to win but not everything.

“We played well, we created lots of chances and we were unlucky. We were unlucky. It is as simple as that. For people like me who have been in football for so long you have to accept this anomaly.

“I would not accept it if we came here and we didn't play. I would not accept that at all. I would think it was very very strange. But to come here and be better than our opponents and lose, that is football.”

Newcastle’s victory against Chelsea ensured Mourinho is winless in the North-East this season, following last weekend’s 0-0 draw at Sunderland, but the Portuguese manager refused to criticise Newcastle and Sunderland’s negative tactics in keeping Chelsea at bay.

“I don't have to be critical or comment on the way other teams play against us,” said Mourinho. “They play the way they want to play, they play the way they think is the best way to play. I don't have to speak about that.”

For the second week running, Diego Costa failed to score in the North-East, following his blank at Sunderland last Saturday. Mourinho feels his striker, a summer signing from Atletico Madrid, will come good once his match fitness returns.

“For me the problem is not the goals,” said Mourinho of Costa, who has a recurring hamstring injury. “The goals will come as a consequence of his condition. He has to improve his condition. He was injured, he had many doubts and he had a long time without training and that obviously must have an effect on a player – the way he runs, the way he moves, his coordination. He has to recover but I don't think there is any problem.”

Chelsea still lead the Premier League from Manchester City, and Mourinho believes that this blip – the Blues have picked up four points from the last three games – is merely temporary.

He added: “We have performed better than anyone else, and of course I will back them to bounce back.

“We are top of the league. Nobody has done better than us. Everyone would like to be in our position. So we are more than fine. We are better than anybody else.

“I don't say my team is the best, I say me team is top of the league and at this moment nobody has the same points that we have. Because of that in this moment we are the best team in the Premier League. I am not saying we are better than anyone else.”