Pardew keeps his cool amid ugly scenes

NIALL QUINN may be making moves to utilise the services of the former Foreign Secretary David Miliband at Sunderland, but it was Alan Pardew who was the true diplomat in the wake of ugly scenes at the end to this latest Tyne-Wear turf war.

Utter joy among the home supporters at Asamoah Gyan’s equaliser four minutes into stoppage time spilled over into something more sinister as prone goalkeeper Steve Harper was confronted and pushed over by a lone fan, before violence erupted on the final whistle, seats being used as missiles between opposing tribes in scenes that mirrored the culmination of the sides’ last meeting here three years ago.

The Football Association will await the report of referee Howard Webb, who stepped in to identify Harper’s assailant to stewards, before deciding what, if any, action to take. To his credit, Pardew refused to fan the flames in an act of diplomacy of which Labour MP Miliband, who is set to join the Sunderland board in a non-executive role, would have been proud.

“When you get a last minute goal in a derby there’ll be an over-reaction from everybody,’’ the Newcastle manager said. “What happened with that fan that shouldn’t have happened and I think he pushed Steve in the back. I don’t think there was anything malicious in it, but people have to control themselves. On first sight it’s an ugly incident but I don’t think it was that bad.’’

Steve Bruce was rather less conciliatory, and the Sunderland manager said: “I just saw Harper on the floor and I didn’t see what happened. I’d like to say well done to the Sunderland fans who gave the kid up, and that’s what he is, a kid. He’s in police custody as we speak.

“We love the football and the passion but we don’t need to see scenes like that. I hope they ban him for a long time. I can’t understand what goes through his mind, why the hell he’s got to come onto the pitch and confront Harper baffles me. Why doesn’t he just celebrate with 40,000 other fans? It’s a sad indictment of society.’’

Pardew was rather more concerned by the amount of stoppage time played than any potential danger to his goalkeeper, that allowed Gyan to level when the ball rebounded in off his knee from six yards after Harper had pushed out a shot from Kieran Richardson in the lurking Ghanaian’s direction.

“The fourth official told me there was going be a lot of added time so his information was good,’’ Pardew conceded. “But there aren’t many games when you get five minutes injury time so I thought it was harsh.

“With five minutes, it brings the stadium alive again, the referee almost went to them ‘here you are, here’s a bit more excitement for you’ because we’d killed the crowd. The injury time cost us and that was a bit harsh as it’s cost us two points. We’re in the dressing room feeling that it’s like a defeat and yet it’s a valuable point.’’

Kevin Nolan’s close-range backheel from Shola Ameobi’s knock-down seven minutes into the second-half — the forward last night claimed the goal after insisting his skipper hadn’t got a touch to his towering header from Joey Barton’s corner — looked to be enough to secure a league double in the wake of Sunderland’s 5-1 humiliation on Tyneside in October, courtesy of the midfielder’s 10th goal of the season.

The hosts weren’t without their chances as Harper blocked with his legs to deny Darren Bent before making a smart save down to his right to deny Steed Malbranque at a well-worked short corner.

But it was the visitors, who’ve nevertheless lost just once on Wearside in 31 years, who fashioned the clearer openings and paid dearly for not taking them.

Ameobi should have put them ahead inside three minutes as he exploited a gaping hole in the Sunderland defence to poke the ball wide from the edge of the area when clean through.

Fabricio Coloccini saw a close range effort cleared off the line by Kieran Richardson after Alan Smith rose highest to knock back Barton’s corner as the visitors pressed. Leon Best took advantage of more slack marking from Titus Bramble to run onto Barton’s late pass before firing in a shot on the turn which hit the side-netting as the vital second failed to materialise.

Gyan, who had endured a torrid previous 93 minutes, atoned with his eighth goal of the season with a far from convincing finish.

“It was a bit lucky, but they all count,’’ he admitted.