Newcastle United 1 Swansea City 2 match report: Alan Pardew in firing line as Wilfried Bony puts Swansea in clear

The seventh game of Alan Pardew’s suspension for head-butting David Meyler brought a sixth defeat in injury time yesterday. In that moment, Pardew became the first Newcastle manager in the history of the Premier League to lose five successive games. The numbers no longer add up. Newcastle cannot afford to be this poor for much longer.

The supporters are going through the dictionary for emotions. Apathy has overtaken anger and the patience of owner Mike Ashley will be tested to the brink of breaking point.

Pardew has become peripheral because of his misadventure at Hull. His team do not appear to be listening to a man stuck up in the stands for the last four games of that ban, having been banished from the stadium for the first three. The stadium in that time has lost any vibrancy. Newcastle are on a run of 12 defeats in 17 games and confidence has completely dripped out of the team.

The supporters do not believe in the players, and obviously so. No one can wait for the season to finish, including those French players heading to the World Cup, so the death march continues. The twists this time came in the timing of the two goals that pushed Swansea to the rink of safety, and plunged more doom upon Tyneside, if that were possible.

Shola Ameobi had not scored since December 2012 when he linked with Luuk de Jong and slid a left foot shot past Michel Vorm in the 23rd minute. In first half injury-time, Wilfried Bony, (below, carrying Marvin Emnes) a player admired by Pardew, lost Mike Williamson at a corner and glanced a header past Tim Krul.

That was enough of a foothold in the game for Swansea to find a way to victory. Bony and Pablo Hernandez had chances, as did Jonjo Shelvey. Dan Gosling had a shot saved, but there was little of real consequence to Newcastle’s efforts.

Then, in the 92nd minute, the Swansea substitute Marvin Emnes broke with pace and while Fabricio Coloccini resisted the temptation to tackle in his own penalty area, Cheick Tioté dived in and clattered the striker. From 12 yards Bony could not have been much calmer with such a significant penalty for his side, and he eased the ball past Krul.

“It was a really cruel blow for the club and the team,” said Pardew. “It was a game that would look like heading for a draw but we switched off at our own set play and it cost us at least a point. We didn’t deserve that with the position we were in the game. I’m absolutely choked for the players and the staff as a point would have been something to carry forward. I’m low for the team and low for my staff.

“There were times sitting in the stands when you think a presence on the sidelines might have influenced the situation. I’ll be pleased to be back on the sidelines against Arsenal for sure. I was pleased with the crowd. They gave us the platform to win the game and I’m choked for them that we haven’t given them some sort of result today. We had flashes from Loïc (Rémy) and a decent performance from Mathieu (Debuchy) and they are important players, but that was the maximum they could play.”

It was not enough. Swansea look more safe than Pardew. “We have played a lot better than we did in this game and got nothing,” said their manager Garry Monk. “But it’s about getting the job done at this stage of the season, whatever way that is you take it.”

Line-ups:

Newcastle United (4-2-3-1): Krul; Anita, Williamson, Coloccini, Dummett; Gosling (Armstrong, 81), Tioté; Cissé (Debuchy, 6), De Jong (Rémy, 50), Gouffran; Ameobi.

Swansea City (4-3-3): Vorm; Angel, Amat, Williams, Davies; Hernandez (Emnes, 81), Britton, Shelvey; De Guzman, Bony, Routledge.

Referee: Chris Foy

Man of the match: Bony (Swansea)

Match rating: 6/10