Newcastle United 2 Southampton 2

Newcastle drew their first game of the season in Steve McLaren’s first game in the Premier League for more than eight years.

The former England boss last managed at this level for Middlesbrough back in 2007 but after his ill fated spell in charge of the National team he has rebuilt his career and his job is now to try and ensure that Newcastle have more success than last time around where they only just avoided relegation on the final day of the season.

Southampton earned a point at Newcastle thanks to substitute Shane Long’s late goal.

Graziano Pelle met Cedric Soares’ long ball to head Saints into an early lead, before Papiss Cisse equalised by chesting in a deflected cross.

New £14.5m signing Georginio Wijnaldum then scored a powerful header on his Premier League debut to give Newcastle the lead early in the second half.

But Long struck 10 minutes from time, heading in a Dusan Tadic cross to ensure that the spoils were shared.

Newcastle did hand a debut to one of the Swans summer transfer targets Aleksandar Mitrovic and he was booked 22 seconds into his debut and that could easily – according to the Newcastle boss have been a red card

Newcastle manager Steve McClaren : “I went through every emotion. We played some terrific football and could have been out of sight.

In the end we hung on for the point and there were a lot of positives. It would have been a travesty if we had lost.

“In the last 15 minutes we have to be smarter, we will learn from that.”

On Mitrovic’s booking: “We were quite fortunate he did not get a red there and there would have been no complaints if he did. That’s what he is. He certainly doesn’t hold back. He wanted to come on and impress.”

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