20 mins: Christian Atsu's goalbound effort rebounded for Isaac Hayden to plant a low 20-yarder beyond former Magpie Fraser Forster who looked a bit flat-footed in front of the wildly celebrating Geordie hordes 1-0

Half time: Saints 0 Magpies 1

49 mins: Javier Manquilllo fatally allowed striker Manolo Gabbiadini to turn on the edge of the box and squeeze a shot between Rob Elliot and the near post. 1-1

51 mins: United kicked off and after briefly losing possession, pushed on through DeAndre Yedlin. Jonjo Shelvey's forward pass then allowed Matt Ritchie to knock a fine first-time ball in from the United right that was thumped straight at Forster by Ayoze Perez. 

The 'keeper blocked his shot but Perez regained possession and promptly squeezed the ball inside him from a tight angle, just 27 seconds after the restart 2-1

75 mins: Florian Lejeune betrayed a lack of match sharpness in his comeback game by needlessly bundling Shane Long over for a penalty - the Irish forward once again proving to be a thorn in our side after cynically kicking the ball out and then waiting for contact. 

Gabbiadini duly netted from the penalty spot with a well executed shot that Elliot did well to get anywhere near to. 2-2

Full time: Saints 2 Magpies 2

 
Rafa said after the game:

"We are disappointed because we could have won, but at the same time we are happy with taking a point away.

"It was a pity not to send the fans home with a win after such a long trip, but overall it was a good performance and I am happy with the team.

"It was difficult but at least we got a point. We can be better and hopefully we will be better but we have to defend better.

"I have not yet seen the replay but from the bench it looks as though it was a penalty.

"Obviously he (Lejeune) conceded the penalty that but then afterwards he was almost the hero with the header — that is football.

"He has not played since the opening game against Tottenham and he has been working very hard.

"During the international break he has been training with the team and I am happy because he is a good player who gives us more options at centre-back.”

Mauricio Pellegrino (who played under Rafa at Liverpool and was on his coaching staff at both Anfield and Inter Milan):

"Sometimes when you try to score a second goal, you lose the control. It was partly my responsibility because I told my team we needed to play a little more direct to try to create something close to the box because Newcastle defensively is very good.

"My feeling is that we could never control the game. I repeat, maybe that was my responsibility because I wanted to take the game to Newcastle.

"I wanted to do something different because, for example in the last game against Liverpool, they couldn’t create too much, so I was trying to find a way.

"We tried to be more direct in the second half because they were compact, we put Dusan [Tadic] behind the two strikers but after we equalised we conceded really quick. After this we were in our best moment.

"We conceded a couple of, in my opinion, soft goals. We were in our best moment. We could have won the game but also we could lose the game. I didn’t like seeing this game with a lot of different moments because, in other games, we were controlling the games without scoring whereas we scored two goals but it wasn’t enough.

“We are conceding goals in every single game at home, goals we can avoid. It is one point, it is not the best for us but in how we conceded the first and second goals the point is positive.” 

United's dreadful sequence of results in Hampshire was thankfully ended, but what could have been three points ultimately became one following two defensive misadventures during the second half.

Returning from the international break, Newcastle made two changes from the starting lineup that drew with Liverpool; Ireland international Ciaran Clark and Spanish U21 representative Mikel Merino both dropping down to the bench.

That gave fit-again Florian Lejeune the chance to restart a Magpies career that had lasted barely half an hour on opening day against Spurs before injury forced his withdrawal. Isaac Hayden was also restored to the midfield, as has been the case for all four away games to date.  

A measure of the distance away from first team contention could be gauged by the absence of Aleksandar Mitrovic from the squad, along with Jack Colback, omitted from the team photo and exiled to the reserves. Mo Diame retained his place among the substitutes, despite admitting to laziness recently - as he did last season - finally showing some appetite for a contest last week, when captain Jamaal Lascelles rubbished him in training....  

A sluggish-looking Southampton side showed little sign of being in the mood to register their fifth successive home victory over United and the visitors deservedly went ahead on 20 minutes when Isaac Hayden seized on a loose ball just outside the box and whacked it past Fraser Forster.

Full value for a rare interval lead (at least in the top flight), Newcastle shot themselves in the foot for the first time just four minutes into the second period; Javier Manquilllo fatally allowing Manolo Gabbiadini to turn in the box and squeeze a shot between Rob Elliot and the near post. 

Almost from the restart though Newcastle regained the lead, Ayoze Perez netting at the second attempt to stun the Saints and stir memories of his last away strike, along the coast at Brighton. 

Sensing that further goals were there for them, United pushed on and retained the initiative, as an increasingly restless home support began to moan. However, a face-saving second equaliser came their way with 15 minutes remaining, thanks in part to continual United irritant Shane Long.

Florian Lejeune betraying a lack of match sharpness in his comeback game by needlessly bundling the Ireland international forward over for a penalty - Long cynically kicking the ball out and then waiting for contact from the retreating defender. 

That momentary lapse of reason though was a single blemish on what was decent afternoon's work from the defender and only a goal-line clearance from substitute Steven Davis prevented Lejeune from atoning for his earlier error by heading home an 89th minute Ritchie corner.

What would have been only a second-ever league win here for Newcastle ultimately eluded them, but the contrast between this committed and organised display and the gutless shambles ensured on previous visits to St. Mary's was more than evident. Pleasing progress.
 

Biffa