By Anthony Marshall - Newcastle United Managing Editor

At St. James' Park

 

 

Newcastle United 2 (Cisse 43, Wijnaldum 48)

Southampton 2 (Pelle 25, Long 79)

Georginio Wijnaldum netted a debut goal as Newcastle United recorded a 2-2 draw at home against Southampton on the opening weekend of the 2015/16 Barclays Premier League season.

The Dutch international - a summer signing from PSV Eindhoven - was on target along with teammate Papiss Cisse at St. James' Park, but efforts from Graziano Pelle and Shane Long ensured ther Saints left Tyneside with a share of the spoils.

A pulsating game saw Southampton take the lead against the run of play midway through the first half when Pelle nodded home Cedric Soares' deep delivery.

The hosts had a strong penalty shout turned down soon after but finally levelled just before the break, as Cisse chested in Massadio Haidara's deflected cross from point-blank range.

And three minutes into the second half the Magpies were in front - Wijnaldum putting the final touch on a rapid counter-attack to glance into the top corner at the Gallowgate End.

That looked like it could have been enough to win it but Long stepped off the substitutes' bench to equalise with time ticking away - the third headed goal of the game.

Head coach Steve McClaren will be largely pleased with his side's performance as they put in a positive, energetic display with plenty of attacking intent.

United made a bright start and almost broke the deadlock inside the opening three minutes.

Debutant Wijnaldum's inswinging free-kick from the left was dummied by Gabriel Obertan at the near post, and Steven Davis almost diverted the ball past his own goalkeeper, with Maarten Stekelenburg doing well to get down and smother.

Soon after, the Magpies threatened again. This time it stemmed down the right, with Vurnon Anita slipping Sissoko in behind the visitors' defence.

The French powerhouse got into the box and took his time before intelligently cutting the ball back into the path of Wijnaldum, who was arriving right on cue.

Wijnaldum tried to place his first-time strike in the bottom corner but was denied by a superb block from Davis.

Southampton responded and Tim Krul had to be at his best to keep out Cedric Soares' angled, close-range effort, after the full-back had been played in down the right by Graziano Pelle and Dusan Tadic.

It was end to end stuff - Cisse drove into the arms of Stekelenburg from the edge of the area, before Krul's fingertips diverted a Tadic shot wide of the upright.

And it was the Saints who took the lead on 25 minutes. When the ball was worked out wide to Soares, the right-back was given time and space to take a touch before delivering a deep cross onto the head of Pelle, who had peeled off Chancel Mbemba.

The Italian front man still had a lot to do but planted an outstanding downward header into the bottom corner, with Krul unable to keep it out, despite his best efforts.

On the half-hour mark, Newcastle felt they should have had a penalty but referee Craig Pawson turned away their appeals after Jack Colback's corner clearly struck the outstretched arm of Jay Rodriguez, who was under pressure from Papiss Cisse.

It looked as though conceding had knocked the stuffing out of the Magpies but, with two minutes of the half remaining, they were level.

A short corner was worked as far as Haidara, who sent a cross over the head of Stekelenburg via a slight deflection off Sadio Mane. And as the ball dropped just inches short of the goalline, Cisse was on hand to chest home arguably the easiest goal he's ever scored.

Southampton would have edged back in front inside the opening two minutes of the second half, but for an astonishing save from Krul.

Davis' whipped a free-kick towards the far post that was met by the unmarked Yoshida. There was nothing wrong with the centre-back's close-range header and it looked a certain goal but Krul had other ideas, flinging out a leg to somehow divert the ball up and away from goal.

And that was to prove crucial as, from the resulting corner, Newcastle took the lead.

Cisse stole the ball wide on the right and released Obertan, who out-stripped Matt Targett before sending a first-time cross right into the heart of the penalty area.

Wijnaldum had appeared from nowhere and rose above substitute Cuco Martina to glance into the top corner at the Gallowgate End and send St. James' Park wild.

United were dealt a blow just after the hour mark when Vurnon Anita was stretchered off with a back injury, sustained after competing for an aerial ball with Victor Wanyama. Cheick Tiote was his replacement - the Ivorian making a first appearance for the Magpies since the beginning of January, after suffering a knee injury while on Africa Cup of Nations duty.

The 75th minute saw another change, and this time a debut for Aleksandar Mitrovic, who entered the St. James' Park pitch to a huge roar - and was promptly booked within five seconds for clattering into Targett.

And just four minutes later, Southampton equalised. Wanyama worked the ball out to Tadic on the right flank and his inswinging delivery to the far post was met by substitute Long, who had got above Daryl Janmaat and nodded into the top corner.

Sadio Mane almost won it for the visitors in stoppage time, racing into the box and pulling the trigger, only for a brilliant Jack Colback block to keep him at bay.

And that was the last of the action on an entertaining afternoon on Tyneside, as United picked up their first point of the season.

Newcastle United (4-2-3-1): Tim Krul; Daryl Janmaat, Chanel Mbemba, Fabricio Coloccini (c), Massadio Haidara; Vurnon Anita (Cheick Tiote 68), Jack Colback; Moussa Sissoko, Georginio Wijnaldum (Siem de Jong 81), Gabriel Obertan; Papiss Cisse (Aleksandar Mitrovic 75)

 

Subs not used: Karl Darlow, Steven Taylor, Rolando Aarons, Ayoze Perez

 

 

Southampton (4-2-3-1): Maarten Stekelenburg; Cedric Soares (Cuco Martina 46), Jose Fonte (c),Maya Yoshida, Matt Targett; Victor Wanyama, Steven Davis; Sadio Mane, Jay Rodriguez (Shane Long 65), Dusan Tadic; Graziano Pelle

 

Subs not used: Paulo Gazzaniga, Steven Caulker, James Ward-Prowse, Harrison Reed, Juanmi

 

 

Referee: Craig Pawson (South Yorkshire)

Bookings: Newcastle United - Colback (55), Mitrovic (76); Southampton - Soares (12), Fonte (60), Davis (87), Pelle (90)

Attendance: 49,710 (1,250 Southampton)