FA PREMIER LEAGUE Newcastle Utd 2 Manchester City 2:WELL, HE told us he was no mug. Demonstrating that a supposedly washed up "yesterday's man" might be capable of breathing new life into Newcastle United after all, Joe Kinnear delighted in embarrassing Mark Hughes for long periods last night
Although Stephen Ireland's late equaliser spared City abject humiliation, Newcastle, reduced to 10 men for most of the match, displayed a determination and drive which bodes well for their chances of avoiding a relegation fight.
Last night Kinnear soon had cause to curse City's Robinho. Staying just onside before latching on to a clever flicked pass from Shaun Wright-Phillips, he accelerated into the area before collapsing under Habib Beye's challenge.
Although he appeared to make contact with the ball rather than Robinho, the right back, newly restored to the side after injury, was shown a straight red card by Rob Styles and the Brazilian stepped up to take the penalty.
Undeterred by rising choruses of "cheat", he was unable to resist a touch of South American showmanship. Robinho wrongfooted Shay Given by feinting to direct his kick to the right one way before checking and then burying it in the bottom left hand corner.
Kinnear's side though did not have a monopoly on dodgy defending and Hughes's face turned as dark as the Tyneside sky after his side conceded the sort of tragicomic goal all too familiar to St James' Park regulars. Obafemi Martins' speculative 20-yard effort deflected off Damien Duff into the path of Richard Dunne who, failing to clear, permitted it to bounce on towards Coloccini and then Shola Ameobi. Seizing the moment, Ameobi advanced in deceptively ungainly fashion before lashing a half-volley beyond Joe Hart.
Evidently galvanised by Kinnear's interval address Newcastle's 10 men turned thoroughly defiant and such new-found spikiness was stripping the strut and swagger from City's step.
Dunne then gave Newcastle the lead, walloping the ball into this own net after connecting with Geremi's corner. Sidetracked for protracted periods, Robinho finally sparked into life at the right time his passing prefacing Ireland's sweetly struck equaliser.
Guardian Service
NEWCASTLE:Given, Beye, Taylor, Coloccini, Bassong, Geremi, Guthrie, Butt, Duff, Martins (N'Zogbia 72), Ameobi (Carroll 79). Subs Not Used: Harper, Cacapa, Jose Enrique, Xisco, Edgar. Sent Off: Beye (12). Goals: Ameobi 44, Dunne 63 og.
MAN CITY:Hart, Richards (Onuoha 58), Ben-Haim, Dunne, Garrido (Sturridge 83), Wright-Phillips, Kompany, Hamann (Evans 64), Ireland, Jo, Robinho. Subs Not Used: Schmeichel, Elano, Fernandes, Berti. Booked: Garrido, Kompany. Goals: Robinho 14 pen, Ireland
Referee:Rob Styles (Hampshire)
