The Magpies have a superb record at the home of Sunderland over recent years and have lost just once there in the Premier League. Pardew tasted victory in this fixture last year, with a superb Ryan Taylor free-kick being enough to separate the two sides. When it comes to passionate derby matches that create an electric atmosphere, then there is no other place to look than the North East.

With Newcastle not getting off to a flying start in the Premier League, all three points will be just what Pardew is looking for in this one. Take the spoils, and it could be the start of a superb run for them and if football results go their way, Pardew’s men could end the weekend in the top eight.

“The derby games are electric games. I can’t wait for it. The games over there have so much electricity. I can’t really explain to people.” Said the Newcastle boss.

It does look as though the visitors have the squad with the extra quality to take the points in this one. Of course the man to mention at the moment is Demba Ba, who is the top goalscorer in the league at the moment and looks like sticking the ball in the back of the net whenever he touches the ball.

The players that Ba has behind him are key as well, especially Hatem Ben Arfa, who many will be suggesting is the key man in this fixture. The Frenchman’s pace, skill and eye for goal will scare the Black Cats, no doubt about it.

If Newcastle are at their best and can silence the home crowd with an early goal in this one, then you can expect them to come out on top.

Steven Fletcher is the man to stop for Sunderland as he has scored all of their goals in the league. However, with Steven Taylor and Fabricio Coloccini both possibly returning to action, the Magpies defence will be a lot stronger and this pairing are good enough to stop Fletcher having another successful 90 minutes.

You can feel the excitement start to build for this superb North East derby and it is sure to live up to expectations.

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We weren’t quite ‘at it’ today and I have a feeling fatigue played a part, especially as the 2nd half wore on.

We were pretty solid defensively but the m/f were largely preoccupied containing Citeh’s attacking talent, and the supply to the front two wasn’t always that great. When we had opportunities we tended to to try to play the killer pass, rather than waiting for the opening.

Cisse was well contained by a strong Citeh defence, and most of the half chances fell to Demba Ba who brought a couple of decent saves from Hart. Ben Arfa brought one save from Hart, but blazed a couple of other chances high, wide and not so handsome.

Spells of Citeh possession tended to dampen down the SJP crowd and the atmosphere, but I was just thinking the crowd were just sensing we might take something from the game when Citeh got their opener – a well placed shot by Yaya Toure.

So near and yet so far. A disappointing end to a wonderfully entertaining season, and one to fully restore our pride in the team and the club.

Let’s hope we can go once more and take something from the final game at Goodison and then look forward to competing in the Europa Cup. Onwards & upwards. Well done NUFC!!!

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On our part, our passing was dire, delivery from out wide and from dead balls was poor, and far too often we resorted to knocking long balls up to Ba & Cisse. I thought we should have had a penalty in the 1st half when Ba’s legs were taken from behind – by O’Shea, I believe – and another in the 2nd half for a clear handball.

In the 2nd half we came out with an entirely different focus, intent on outplaying them. Hatem Ben Arfa had replaced Raylor wide right and immediately started running at Richardson – quite clearly their weak link at left back but someone we had not once taken on in the 1st half.

Apart from one breakaway when they could and perhaps should have scored, we totally dominated the 2nd half. We mixed up the long balls and short passing much more effectively and penned them into their penalty area for long periods. This was the case before Sessegnon was sent off, which imho made little real difference to the flow of the game.

We found it difficult to break them down, but with so many bodies in the box this was perhaps unsurprising. Our final ball was often weak, our shooting generally off target, and it looked as though the equaliser would not come.

Around the time we got the penalty I was thinking that if we got one we would go on to win. If Ba had despatched the penalty I still think that would have come to pass. As it was, Shola’s thoroughly deserved equaliser came very late and weren’t to conjure up another one.

Frankly, I was disappointed by the mackems. I was expecting them to play a lot more football and be very dangerous on the break. Their physical approach certainly knocked us out of our stride in the 1st half, but once we started playing football they looked ordinary. Tbh, I thought Wolves last week were a better football team.

I feel we have played poorly in recent weeks. However, I saw signs in that 2nd half that we may have finally begun to rediscover what made us successful earlier in this campaign. We may ultimately have the knuckle-draggers to thank for literally kicking us back into action.

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This is the game that most of the Toon Army have something to fear of about the moral of team and the strength of our defense in particular. Many times I’ve read that our current position in the Premierships table was nothing but a luck, as they said, we haven’t meet the real test before today.

So, now I’m proudly say that we have a good team, with a very good determination and high spirited lads are willing to fight until the end and never surrender. We are capable of chasing the game in any condition, like today we are twice behind but we can responded very well to end the game 2-2 against this year “European” club opponent.

Before the match, I was feared of their pacey wingers and the skill of Van Der Vaart and Modric. I didn’t take credits to their striker, Adebayor is not the same person as he was couple of years ago when still with Arsenal.

Instead of the first goal was coming from his movement, I see it as our own fault who was failed to stop the ball that coming from the midfield. Steven Taylor also failed to anticipate the lose ball and gave enough space for Adebayor to run into our six yard box, and Taylor last try was bringing down Adebayor inside the penalty box.

In the second half we are starting to look for an equaliser, and it doesn’t have to wait longer than 3 minutes. In a nice United attack, the ball was coming to Gutierrez who runs for it and releasing a delightful cross infront of Brad Friedel goal who was passed through Spurs defenders into Ba’s foot who are free in the area to slot the ball and Friedel into the net.

Since that goal we are looking for more but through a counter attack we are once again failed to stop the ball from the midfield, and this time Jermaine Defoe who came in as substitute for Van Der Vaart, can take the adavance to fire in Spurs second.

Alan Pardew then make two substitutions to taking off Demba Ba and Best who surprisingly very quiet today and bringing on Hatem Ben Arfa and … Shola Ameobi. I’m trying to be honest here, to see Ameobi in I was thought that we will finally got beaten.

But, I was totally wrong, and I apologize to Ameobi who is coming in to rescue the point for United, with his superb goal in the 86 minutes. Just 9 minutes before that goal, Pardew also bringing in another player that I was desperately want to see him playing, Davide Santon to replace Danny Simpson.

Spurs have one other chance to get back into the lead but Krul succeeded to block another strike from Defoe. We also have a great opportunity to win this game through our skipper Coloccini who shot the ball wide in the dying minutes.

In general, I was pleased with this result and to see that we are still in good track. Bring in Wigan next week, until then thanks for coming to this site and Howay the Lads!

Newcastle United (4-4-2):
Tim Krul; Danny Simpson (Davide Santon 77), Steven Taylor, Fabricio Coloccini (c), Ryan Taylor; Gabriel Obertan, Yohan Cabaye, Cheik Tiote, Jonas Gutierrez; Leon Best (Shola Ameobi 71), Demba Ba (Hatem Ben Arfa 71)

Subs not used: Rob Elliot, Dan Gosling, Sylvain Marveaux, Peter Lovenkrands

Tottenham Hotspur (4-4-2):
Brad Friedel; Kyle Walker, Younes Kaboul, Ledley King (c) (Sebastien Bassong 30), Benoit Assou-Ekotto; Gareth Bale, Jake Livermore, Scott Parker, Luka Modric; Rafael Van Der Vaart (Jermain Defoe 64); Emmanuel Abebayor (Roman Pavlyuchenko 89)

Subs not used: Carlo Cudicini, Danny Rose, Andros Townsend, Giovani Dos Santos

Referee: Lee Probert

Attendance: 46,420

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We score thanks to Best who was on the right position in teh right time. The goal was come with helps from Everton defenders who was too focus on their right defensive area and that same errors also being gifted to them by Newcastle defenders to make it level.

Everton second goal was a great one and from a clever set piece when Baines curling the ball past the United defensive wall, Jagielka was there and he was a little bit fortunate that his shot the ball into the cross bar before bounches in into Harper’s net.

Newcastle also have to take off Enrique in the half an hour mark and surprisingly, Pardew bring in the man in the mask, Ameobi to replaced him. And he did quite well since he came in, and playing on his usual standard as he often did.

In the second half, we look forward and dominated the game in search for the equaliser. But to speak honestly, there’s a sound inside of me that saying this is not our day and the magic of 4-4 draw against Arsenal will never repeat again.

We all know that Everton was a team which is hard to beat, and without the creator of most of our game in the field, we look a bit uncreative in attack. I really miss Joe Barton today. Steven Taylor who was being adopted into his position was too soft to cover Barton’s role.

I hope in our next game we can see Barton playing again, and all of his absence really because of his injury and was not another Ashley’s plan to sell him to other club.

Until then and thanks for coming to this site. Howay the Lads!!!

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