Newcastle draw with Stoke at James' Park

Stoke 0 Newcastle 0

Newcastle’s beleaguered boss Sam Allardyce will stagger on to an FA Cup replay with Stoke at St James’ Park desperately hoping his side’s battling qualities have a major effect on his long-term job prospects.

Rumours of a likely dismissal should the Magpies have been grounded in the Potteries were played down by the Newcastle hierarchy but the pressure on Allardyce would have reached almost intolerable proportions if the Coca-Cola Championship club had advanced.

The presence of Alex Ferguson at the Britannia Stadium was a reminder of how the world’s oldest cup competition can change the course of a managerial career.

And should Allardyce survive and eventually go on to achieve even a quarter of the success Ferguson has had at Manchester United – Newcastle’s next opponents - he may reflect on his side’s durability during a tricky couple of minutes immediately after Jon Parkin’s introduction, which might well have sunk Newcastle without trace.

On top for long spells, the Magpies were looking increasingly unlikely to make the breakthrough when Parkin latched onto Ricardo Fuller’s cutback.

The substitute looked certain to score but Steven Taylor and Abdoulaye Faye jointly flung themselves in the way of the goalbound shot and kept it out.

Similarly, Shay Given was odds against to deny Richard Cresswell’s volley from the resulting corner but somehow the Republic of Ireland international stuck out a hand and managed it.

Allardyce is a bullish character and insisted prior to the game he did not fear the sack if his under-performing team were bundled out of the competition at the first hurdle to lower league opposition.

Yet, even with such a stout heart and firm conviction, Allardyce could be forgiven a sense of trepidation as his team took to the field to face a Stoke side unbeaten since November 10, precisely the same day as Michael Owen last started for the Magpies.

It would be wrong and totally unfair to pin the blame for Newcastle’s current difficulties at Owen’s door but the England forward’s frequent lengthy absences are hardly conducive to a stable team.

With Joey Barton missing and Obafemi Martins required to attend an pre-African Nations Cup training camp with Nigeria, Allardyce was shorn of a few key men.

Yet, a quick glance at a team containing Owen, Mark Viduka and Damien Duff offered an obvious explanation as to why so many believe Newcastle should be doing far better than they currently are.

Duff was lively from the start, with Viduka and Owen both warming to their tasks as the opening period progressed.

Had it not been for Steve Simonsen’s quick reactions, Owen might well have put Newcastle in front after Ryan Shawcross misread Viduka’s flick.

Owen swivelled in the area, then tried to lift the ball gently over the advancing Stoke keeper. Fortunately for the hosts, Simonsen stuck out an arm to first stop the ball, before smothering it before Owen had a second bite.

Simonsen also made a smart save to deny Charles N’Zogbia as the visitors tried to make their pressure tell, the winger cutting in from his left flank station before unleashing a powerful low drive that could easily have ended up in the Stoke goal.

Although largely on the back foot, the hosts were a threat on the break and, with a bit less excitability, might have scored themselves.

Richard Cresswell was among the guilty men, screwing an awful shot out for a throw-in after finding himself in space inside the Newcastle box.

Top scorer Ricardo Fuller was subdued effectively by Abdoulaye Faye but strike partner Mamady Sidibe was more of a threat, although the African let himself down with a repeatedly poor first touch.

Newcastle could have eased their nerves within minutes of the re-start as N’Zogbia’s free-kick caused panic in the Stoke area.

Steven Taylor struck a post in the ensuing melee before Duff just failed to find Owen when he turned the loose ball back into the danger area.

At that point, there appeared only one winner but the introduction of the robust Parkin for Sidibe presented Newcastle with a problem they struggled to deal with.

Parkin’s first touch flicked the ball into Fuller’s path, his second would have put Stoke in front had Taylor and Faye not superbly combined to make a goal-line block.

The new arrival then turned Liam Lawrence’s far-post corner into the path of Richard Cresswell, whose volley was saved at point-blank range by Given.

The keeper also pulled off a smart stop to deny another Parkin header shortly afterwards as Newcastle clung on.