Newcastle vs Hull match report: Papiss Cisse returns to rescue Alan Pardew as Newcastle hit back for a draw
Newcastle 2 Hull 2: Senegal striker steps off the substitutes’ bench and scores two late goals to salvage an unlikely point after dominant Hull fritter away their lead
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The fist of defiance from Alan Pardew was raised towards the Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley, when, with three minutes remaining yesterday, substitute Papiss Cisse saved both men.
No wonder the celebration was so emphatic.
Cisse had been rushed back into the firing line after breaking his kneecap in April. Twice he struck late on. Pardew will be at training next week thanks to the intervention of the Senegal forward.
St James’ Park was not the predicted cauldron of hostility. The planned demonstration, to raise 30,000 ‘SackPardew.com’ A4 leaflets did not materialise.
Some banners were raised in the fifth minute to signify the five league victories under the current Newcastle regime in 2014. But mostly there was an attempt to back a team that has been lost.
It is a brittle team that has picked up 19 points from the last 75 available. Support of it remains troubled and fractured.
That much was apparent yesterday. Songs to back the side were interspersed with those to mock the manager and ask once more for the owner, Ashley, to leave. Pardew was jeered whenever he went near the ball in the first half, but there was little of the hatred from the final game of last season against Cardiff.
Only when Hull seemed to take control of the game did the volume and the intensity of feeling rise.
Three minutes of the second half had passed when Jack Colback lost the ball in his own penalty area and Ahmed Elmohamady crossed to the far post. The finish from Nikica Jelavic was breathtaking as he acrobatically crashed a volley past Tim Krul in the Newcastle goal. Steve Bruce, the Hull manager who has been linked with the Newcastle position, could not hide his joy.
A second Hull goal should have followed through Stephen Quinn soon after. Tom Huddlestone’s free-kick broke to Quinn, who, unmarked and with just Krul to beat, slashed the shot wide from eight yards out. Bruce span on his heels in despair.
However, the goal did not last long to come. Newcastle looked beaten when they backed off from Mo Diame, who had the time to move the ball to his left foot and crack a shot in off the upright.
Tyneside’s anger stirred and Cisse entered the field to a cacophony of jeers for his manager.
That was in the 69th minute. Within four minutes Cisse had given Pardew a lifeline. Cheick Tiote fed the Senegal forward on a diagonal run and he drilled a right-footed shot into the corner of Allan McGregor’s net. Cisse lifted his strip to show a vest paying tribute to his team-mate Jonas Gutierrez, who last week revealed he is fighting cancer.
The goal put wind into the sails of his team-mates and in the 87th minute, when a Moussa Sissoko cross had been headed down by Yoan Gouffran, Cisse struck from close range.
Pardew turned towards his boss and raised a fist in celebration.
“We’ve had to climb a mountain,” said Pardew. “The players were magnificent for me, I have to thank them. It just goes to show, with Papiss Cisse’s celebration, football can bring you together.
“I’m conscious of not making excuses because I’ve been accused of making excuses. I just want to defend the team, but we were really good at times today and hopefully the fans can digest that.
“It’s not lost on me that I get accused of being arrogant but I’m also a proud man to be manager of this football club and I’m going to fight to keep it. My team need to reflect that and I think they did today.
“It’s been a difficult start for us.”
For Bruce, there was no such defiance.
“It feels like a loss,” he said. “Unfortunately, we’ve made mistakes and got punished. We’ve scored two wonderful goals which would have graced any arena. Apart from the mistakes we made late on, we looked a very good team.
“Individual errors are something you can never determine what it is. Is it complacency? Tiredness? A mistake is a mistake and we’ve got punished.”
Line-ups:
Newcastle (4-2-3-1): Krul; Janmaat, Williamson, Coloccini, Dummett; Tiote (Ameobi 85), Colback; Sissoko, Cabella, Gouffran (Perez 90); Riviere (Cisse 69).
Hull (4-4-2): McGregor; Elmohamady, Dawson, Davies, Robertson (Rosenior 88); Livermore, Huddlestone, Diame, Quinn; Jelavic (Meyler 81), Hernandez (Aluko 56).
Referee: Neil Swarbrick.
Man of the match: Robertson (Hull).
Match rating: 7/10
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments