Many moons ago John Carver and Mark Hughes obtained their coaching qualifications after studying alongside each other on the same course. Reunited on Tyneside, they both scored top marks for clever, game-changing use of substitutes but Hughes’ smart late tactical switch from 4-2-3-1 to 4-4-2 arguably ensured Stoke City’s manager departed with a deserved point.
By cancelling out Jack Colback’s opener, Peter Crouch’s 90th-minute equaliser deprived Carver of a first home win as Newcastle’s interim head coach. It seemed harsh on a man whose desire to succeed Alan Pardew on a longer term basis dictates that he must treat every game as an audition yet Stoke’s dominance of possession demanded some reward. Moreover Hughes had considerable justification in arguing that, having just escaped a second yellow card, Colback should not have been on the pitch at the time of his goal.
“Not one for my DVD collection,” said Carver with considerable understatement at the end of a match that offered a stark reminder his side need to add creativity to enviable pace. “A frustrating day but a draw’s probably a fair result.”
Stoke largely controlled the first half but did not test Tim Krul until late in it. A flash of superb skill from Steven N’Zonzi and a fabulous, dinked, Stephen Ireland cross following the midfielder being played onside by Vurnon Anita combined to provide Mame Biram Diouf with a headed chance well saved by the Holland goalkeeper.
Newcastle’s ability to switch the play in a split second ensured Hughes’ side could never quite relax. Yet nervous as his defence evidently were whenever Moussa Sissoko drove forward at formidable pace on the counterattack or Massadio Haïdara and Sammy Ameobi launched rapid attacks down the left, Asmir Begovic remained relatively untroubled.
The closest Carver’s players came to breaking the deadlock during the opening 45 minutes was the early moment when Begovic’s reflexes proved equal to Rémy Cabella’s header following his connection with a Sissoko cross. An opening created by Cabella losing Marc Wilson resulted in Ayoze Pérez sending a shot whizzing fractionally wide.
If there was enjoyment in watching Ireland’s clever low passing, Marc Muniesa’s ability to play from the back, Philipp Wollscheid’s defensive assurance, Pérez’s sometimes breathtaking technique and Colback’s intelligent, invariably incisive industry, there were far too many obvious balls. As good as Wollschied and Muniesa were at the heart of the visiting defence Newcastle failed to test them severely. Slightly fussy refereeing from Kevin Friend hardly enhanced the flow and his decision to book Ireland for what appeared to be a decent challenge on Colback seeming typically pedantic.
The mildly interesting rather than exactly magical tone continued well into the second half. Aware something needed to change Carver introduced further attacking pace in the shape of Papiss Cissé and, rather more controversially, Gabriel Obertan. Despite the crowd’s displeasure at seeing a far from delighted Cabella sacrificed for his fellow Frenchman, Carver did not have to wait long for vindication. Both Cissé and Obertan were involved in the move which concluded with Sissoko controlling the latter’s cross before laying off the ball to Colback whose swerving left-foot shot went in off a post.
Aggrieved that Colback, already booked for going in late on Muniesa, had escaped a yellow card for clattering into Victor Moses a couple of minutes earlier, Stoke’s bench looked far from amused.
“The referee wasn’t brave enough to make the right decision at a key moment,” Hughes said. “It was clearly a second yellow. The referee needed to be strong enough to make the right decision. If they’d been down to 10 men we’d probably have won. He’s a good referee but some of his decisions left a lot to be desired.”
Although Carver praised Friend’s performance while maintaining it “definitely wasn’t” a second yellow, Colback could not quite agree. “If I’d been sent off, I couldn’t have had much argument,’ he said. “I caught him.”
Ireland’s wonderful chipped finish soon defied Krul but he was fractionally offside and it proved his final act. With time running out, Hughes ripped up plan A and replaced his playmaker with Crouch.
If the arrival of an attacking partner galvanised Jonathan Walters, confrontation by 4-4-2 fazed Newcastle. Although Obertan missed a sitter, Krul saved well from Walters and Mehdi Abeid’s carelessness in possession boded badly for a suddenly concerned looking Carver.
His fears were confirmed as Geoff Cameron crossed and Crouch rose above Daryl Janmaat to direct a splendid header across the advancing Krul and into the bottom corner.
“Some people say only Harry Kane scores those sort of goals nowadays,” Hughes said. “But Peter Crouch’s been scoring them for years.”
Man of the match Marc Muniesa (Stoke City)
