The TV cameras made their third visit to St.James' Park in eight days to capture the most predictable of outcomes, as Newcastle meekly extricated themselves from the FA Cup at the Sixth Round stage.

Records will show that a goal in each half ended the home side's interest in this competition, but the margin of defeat could have been far greater.

In return Steve Bruce's side threatened to score precisely once: under the cosh, but they were certainly never bullied into playing football...

Birthday boy Kevin De Bruyne put City ahead from the penalty spot eight minutes before the interval and Raheem Sterling's unstoppable 68th minute effort kept the visitors on course to retain their trophy.

United reverted to a five man defence in their attempts to frustrate their opponents, but so deep as to invite Pep Guardiola's side to camp in their half from the first whistle - wasting any possession occasionally gained.

The level of traffic heading towards Karl Darlow in the Gallowgate End goal was such that it appeared some sort of social distanced one way system was in operation - but with precious little footfall in the opposite direction.

Newcastle's goal survived various near misses as their opponents assumed total control, somehow making to the drinks break unscathed before the punishment recommenced in similar vein.

However the home defence was only breached after an avoidable lapse by Fabian Schar, needlessly shoving an opponent to concede the first penalty we've conceded in a competitive game since April 2019.

De Bruyne easily netted the spot kick to give City a single goal advantage at the interval that massively flattered Steve Bruce's side.

The black and whites reverted to a back four after the break with Schar pushed forward into midfield and were at least able to string a couple of passes together. That suggestion of fight might just have had a refreshed home crowd roaring, as would a few of Andy Carroll's meaty challenges.

Our sole forward threat, Carroll was replaced by Dwight Gayle just after the hour while the anonymous Miguel Almiron made way for Joelinton.

Gayle's introduction against Aston Villa in midweek had resulted in an immediate goal and he almost had the same effect here, during what was Newcastle's sole moment of danger and creativity.

Saint-Maximin gained possession on the right and craftily laid a pass across the box for Gayle, who looked a certain scorer after a defender slipped to present him with the ball just six yards out.

However a first-ever Cup goal for the club would elude the striker, who blasted his shot high over Bravo's crossbar into the Gallowgate End.

Reality rapidly intervened as a flowing City move from end to end concluded with Sterling ramming the ball home to make it 0-2 while the watching TV audience were still debating how it wasn't 1-1.

The tie then reverted to the exhibition match or elongated training drill that had resembled for all but about 90 seconds. A series of replacements for the visitors didn't affect their momentum and only profligacy in front of goal preventing what a more sizeable home loss.

Needlessly clad in a change strip seemingly inspired by sherbert fountains, Pep's side were amusing themselves by the finish as if they'd been across town at the Hoppings. Somewhat appropriately, Andy Carroll's beard made him look like someone getting crazy on the waltzers.....

With another game on Wednesday, United made more changes and gave pitch time to Valentino Lazaro, DeAndre Yedlin and Matthew Longstaff.

The ground was of course empty, but the eventual outcome and manner in which it arrived was only too familiar to long-suffering home supporters.

Parking the bus was certainly something in the Rafa Benitez playbook and a "stay in the game" mentality brought about the most unexpected of victories against City here in January 2019.

Bruce then took a point from City here last November in similar style and as recently as January frustrated Chelsea before landing a late sucker punch.

Too much was against them here though: not least a lack of midfielders (Bentaleb suspended, Ritchie injured, both Longstaffs lacking match fitness, Hayden less than 100% and Shelvey consequently too much of a risk).

Carelessness in possession meant that the defence seldom had respite and we never got near enough to the far end of the field to win a single corner.

Carroll ploughed the loneliest of furrows up ahead (as Joelinton has in a fair few games) and neither Almiron or Saint-Maximin were able to get on the ball long enough to draw any fouls and disrupt City's forward flow.

And when our forward did get the benefit of the doubt from Mason, the consequent free kick was whacked straight out of play by Sean Longstaff.

TV cameras caught his manager's response - "for f*cks sake": a sentiment doubtless shared by viewers of a Magpie disposition across the planet.

Ultimately, we lacked the discipline to keep an incredibly talented team at bay and spurned that one opportunity when it came our way. We would probably just have made them angry though had it gone in though...

Even without any travelling, two games in quick succession had taken their toll after Newcastle's enforced break, although opinion is divided between whether some of them are still ring rusty or already knackered. Clearly a third game in eight days was going to be a challenge against any opposition, never mind this model of perpetual motion.

In theory we had nothing to lose in this one-off meeting, but to expect that we'd go hell for leather was totally unrealistic - given that we'd singularly failed to play on the offensive against far poorer teams all season and scored just once in the opening 45 minutes of our last 11 league games.

We'll never know whether a full SJP would have affected the outcome - but City have come here and done this sort of thing enough times in the last decade in front of 50,000+ to suggest not - and that second goal would have sent a fair few heading for the exits had a crowd been admitted.

If not happy, Bruce was ultimately content to losing by a couple of goals - nothing to see here. Had they shipped six or seven then that would have made headlines everywhere and got people back on his case (there's still time for that when we play at City next month of course). A lack of spectators just made it that bit easier to slide out of the competition.

It's difficult to get upset about this result; tricky to feel much at all about this bizarre parallel universe football currently occupied. That nightmarish prospect of an empty Wembley can at least now be quietly dismissed.

Our cup logic has long been that we'll progress in whatever competition until we're drawn against a decent side - be it in the round or the final. You don't get much better than this lot in fairness.

If nothing else though it took four rounds before we bowed out - this tie the first time we've featured in the FA Cup Quarter Finals since 2006. Compare that to the four ties in four seasons from 2013.

It seems like half a lifetime ago, but there were laughs and scrapes on the way - and one case of indecent exposure. This was a pretty sobering finale though, no matter what channel you tuned in on. 

"We're not really here" is the usual refrain of the City fans, today it neatly encapsulated the home team. The only pleasure was in switching off.