Wilfried Zaha struck a 95th-minute equaliser on his return to Crystal Palace as the Eagles held Newcastle United to a pulsating 3-3 draw at St James's Park.
The sides went in level at the break after Daryl Janmaat cancelled out an early strike from Dwight Gayle, who scored within 30 seconds.
Palace started the second half in fine fashion too, with Jason Puncheon firing past Tim Krul just three minutes after the restart.
It was not until the introduction of Rolando Aarons that Newcastle looked like getting anything from the game, as the youngster headed an equaliser on 74 minutes.
The youngster then played a starring role in helping Mike Williamson bag what seemed like the winner on 88 minutes, but Zaha pounced with a timely equaliser as both teams shared the spoils.
Below, you can relive all of the action in what was a thrilling afternoon at St James's Park.
Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen and you're very welcome to Sports Mole's live commentary of Newcastle United's Premier League encounter with Crystal Palace at St James's Park.
It has not been a fantastic start to the Premier League season for both winless clubs. Newcastle lost and drew with Manchester City and Aston Villa respectively, while Palace, under the tutelage of caretaker Keith Millen, have suffered back-to-back defeats to Arsenal and West Ham. Could things be about to change for Palace, however?
The prodigal son in the form of Wilfried Zaha returned to the club on loan this week, having played a massive role in helping the Eagles reach the top flight back in the 2012-13 campaign, while Neil Warnock, manager from 2007-2010, also returns to the dugout after being named as Tony Pulis's successor.
And you know what, we've got Warnock's first team sheet coming very, very soon. Along with Newcastle's of course. Stay tuned my friends.
Newcastle United XI: Krul; Janmaat, Coloccini, Williamson, Haidara; Colback, Sissoko; Cabella, de Jong, Gouffran; Riviere
Crystal Palace XI: Speroni; Mariappa, Dann, Delaney, Kelly; Puncheon, Jedinak, Ward, Bolasie; Chamakh, Gayle
Newcastle Subs: Elliot, Dummett, S.Taylor, Anita, Obertan, Aarons, Perez
Crystal Palace Subs: Hennessey, Hangeland, Bannan, Jonny Williams, Zaha, Murray, Campbell
Before we delve into this team news let's have a look at what the boys down at Sports Mole HQ have had to say on Neil Warnock's appointment and how they think both teams will fare this afternoon:
Let's start with Newcastle shall we? Alan Pardew names two changes in total from last week's stalemate at Villa Park as Haidara replaces Dummet, while Siem de Jong makes his first start for the club by replacing Vurnon Anita. Emmanuel Riviere, still chasing his first goal in English football, continues as the spearhead, while Remy Cabella supports his compatriot in attack.
By the way, if you're watching highlights of this later on and think "when did Newcastle sign Pirlo, and when did he die his hair ginger?" That's actually Jack Colback, who starts in midfield. England boss Roy Hodgson dubbed him the 'ginger Andrea Pirlo' during the week. No pressure then Jack.
Let's start with Palace and I can tell you that Wilfried Zaha does NOT start today. He does take a seat on the bench, however. Warnock elects to pair Marouane Chamakh and Dwight Gayle up top, while Jason Puncheon starts on the wing. That's interesting. Let's discuss why.
He and Warnock famously clashed earlier in the year, with Puncheon claiming that the 65-year-old was "crooked" after the two worked together at QPR. He was later fined £15,000 for the accusation but it seems like it's water under the bridge now, which is nice to see really. I'm sure all will be forgiven if he comes up with a meaningful contribution today.
He'll need to do well with someone like Zaha waiting in the wings. He needs a big season, doesn't he. He was essentially frozen out of the squad by David Moyes at Manchester United last season, before securing what proved to be an indifferent loan spell to Cardiff City in January. Still, he's back where it all started now and he'll want to fulfill the potential that he showed earlier in his career. It may just be the best place for him this season.
Neil Warnock and Keith Millen survey the scene of what they hope will be Palace's first win of the season. Kickoff around half-an-hour away now.
DID YOU KNOW? It is 14 years since Palace last managed a victory against Newcastle? They've played eight since, with the Magpies winning seven and drawing one. Will the Eagles end that hoodoo today? We'll have to wait and find out.
The teams are out warming up at St. James' Park. What a beautiful day. #NUFC #NEWCRY https://t.co/ll4BaYF3C4
— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) August 30, 2014
Might we see the arrival of Emmanuel Riviere this afternoon? The Frenchman has started Newcastle's two Premier League games and a Capital One Cup encounter but he has yet to open his account since a summer move from Monaco. Early days, sure, but you wonder if he'll announce himself to the Magpies faithful today. He struck 10 times in 19 Ligue 1 starts last season so he certainly knows where the goal is. Kickoff in t-minus 20 minutes!
ONE TO WATCH: Between Zaha - if he makes an appearance - and Riviere there's a few to look out for this afternoon, but I think the stage is set for Remy Cabella to announce himself to English football today. Newcastle's £12m man showed glimpses of his quality against Man City and Villa, but I think these moments will come a lot more regular this afternoon and I see him causing Palace plenty of problems.
Let's get back to Warnock. Can he save Palace this season? Is it premature to suggest they need saving after Pulis guided them to an 11th-placed finish last season against the odds? Still, Warnock has only been in the top tier twice - one stint ended in relegation with Sheffield United, while he was sacked six months into QPR's Premier League return in 2012. He struggled with Leeds last time out and, really, I wouldn't be swinging from the chandeliers if I was a Palace fan. But I'm not so it's okay.
I can confirm that both teams have returned to the dressing room ahead of kickoff! Personally I'm excited, I see this being a decent game.
PREDICTION! I've spent the last few days trying to summon the spirit of Nostradamus to help me with this but I wasn't sure how to work the ouija board, so I'm very much on my own - or am I? Anyways, I don't think we'll see much of a new-manager effect here and I think Newcastle will claim their first win of the season. 3-1 Magpies. Cabella and Riviere on the scoresheet. There you go.
And here come the teams, folks! Four minutes until this one kicks off.
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand we are off at St James's Park. Palace kick off the match and the Neil Warnock and here we go!
GOAL! Newcastle 0-1 Crystal Palace (GAYLE)
I don't believe. Palace have gone ahead within 20 seconds here folks! Marouane Chamakh's shot is saved by Krul but Gayle, who hit a hat-trick in League Cup duty during the week, follows up the rebound. Unbeliveable.
Well the positive for Newcastle is there's a full 88 minutes left to score, but what an early setback. They respond well, however, and go and win a corner but Cabella's delivery is cleared.
Newcastle continue to improve and Janmaat swings a hopeful cross into the area but Julian Speroni comes and collects the ball. It's a decent response by the hosts.
Palace surged forward and could have quite easily had a second! Puncheon collects a pass from Jedinak, before turning Williamson and firing just over the bar. Newcastle still haven't quite settled.
Newcastle whip a few corners into the Palace danger zone but Warnock's side do well to avert the threat. There's a free kick about to be fizzed in now after Puncheon brought down Colback...
Newcastle whip a few corners into the Palace danger zone but Warnock's side do well to avert the threat.
It comes to nothing as Puncheon makes amends and gets the ball away. Palace break on the counter but Janmaat is there to put the fire out.
Gayle slightly fortunate not to be booked as he drags Haidara to the ground by pulling on his arm. He got an early goal but he want to mar that by picking up a stupid yellow this early.
The Newcastle faithful offer a standing ovation in the 17th minute in memory of Liam Sweeney and John Adler, who perished on flight MH17 that went down in Ukraine. Nice touch as the Palace fans join in too.
Newcastle continue to knock on the door without response as Scott Dan produces a crucial intervention to prevent De Jong's ball from reaching Emmanuel Riviere. Cabella's corner is once again headed away. His delivery hasn't been on point as yet...
Haidara, proving Newcastle's best outlet on that right hand flank, whips a fantastic cross into the area but Speroni reaches it before Riviere can nod it home. Much better from Newcastle in recent minutes.
Sissoko wins Newcastle another corner but the delivery is again poor, this time Colback, the ginger Pirlo according to Roy Hodgson, failing to find a teammate.
SHOT! This could've gone anywhere. A goalmouth scramble trickles to Sissoko, whose deflected effort loops over Speroni and the crossbar as we'll have yet another. Anyone who backed under 10.5 corners can just about throw their slip in the bin.
Warnock will be disappointed by Palace's response since the goal. They've had a half-chance through Puncheon, but by and large they're on the back foot and the hosts will fancy their chances of nicking an equaliser before the break.
STAT: Newcastle boast 73% in the possession stakes, which reflects what I was saying. Palace are comfortable, though. United have had plenty of the ball but no real chances so to speak.
Pardew's side have deviated from their plan of throwing ball after ball into the box as Haidara takes aim from 40 yards and, unsurprisingly, it flies into row-z. He won't want to see that again.
SHOT! Really good move by Newcastle as Sissoko blazes agonisingly wide. The Magpies capitalise on a loose pass from Jedinak and Sissoko receives Riviere's lay-off following a swift counter, but his thumping shot just misses the target. He's been their primary goal threat thus far.
GOAL! Newcastle 1-1 Crystal Palace (Janmaat)
This is so sloppy but the Magpies are back on level terms! Daryl Janmaat hits his first goal for the club in scrappy fashion, scruffing a tame shot past Speroni from close range after Palace failed to clear the danger on a few occasions. Warnock will be furious.
YELLOW CARD: Adrian Mariappa is the first name in Mike Jones's note book as he is booked for a foul on Haidara. Cabella fires the resulting free kick into the area but it's poor and Speroni takes. Newcastle certainly have not rested on their laurels since going behind.
YELLOW CARD: Another card as Marouane Chamakh finds himself booked for a foul on Colback, who prepares to swing in the free kick, and it comes to nothing. Very much the story of Newcastle's half.
Two minutes added on here....
Palace are finishing the half in the ascendancy but a bit of silliness prevents them from getting a cross in, as Mariappa plays in Dwight Gayle, who is clearly about three yards offside. Poor decision.
HALF TIME: NEWCASTLE UNITED 1-1 CRYSTAL PALACE
So, a decent first-half performance by my reckoning. Newcastle huffed and puffed and eventually blew the door down after falling behind after only 20 seconds through Dwight Gayle. Daryl Janmaat got them back on level terms in scrappy fashion, but they all count and this one is nicely poised ahead of the second half.
I really wouldn't want to be in that Palace dressing room. Despite their early goal, Warnock will be livid at the manner in which they were pegged back, with Janmaat's scruffy effort deceiving Speroni. Pardew won't be too unhappy. His side were good value for the equaliser, but he'll have a few of his players practicing corners on the training ground tomorrow morning because they've wasted so many good opportunities from set pieces throughout that half, with Cabella the main culprit.
Speaking of being furious, I backed both of these to score in the first half, but I doubled it with Swansea and West Brom also to score in the first half and, as I just found out, only Swansea did. I'll get over it.
Right, the teams are back on the field and the restart is imminent my friends.
We're back underway folks. Can Newcastle push on for the winner, or will Palace mark Warnock's second coronation at the club with a win? I really don't know. It's close. Stay tuned.
20 seconds have passed and Krul hasn't been beaten so Newcastle have already started this half better than the last 45. Palace making the early running so far though.
GOAL! Newcastle 1-2 Crystal Palace (Puncheon)
Oh my word. Well it turns out that Newcastle would still start this half in dreadful fashion, despite holding on for the first 20 seconds. Puncheon with the goal as the winger volleys low past Tim Krul from just inside the box. It's a very decent finish. Warnock will feel happy that he and Puncheon put their differences to one side....
SUBSTITUTION: An injured Chamakh is replaced by Frazer Campbell, whose Sunderland history seems to have been forgotten by the Newcastle fans, who barely acknowledge his introduction. Not even a boo? Fair enough.
Good response by Newcastle and Mariappa has to head Cabella's stand-up cross out for a corner before Sissoko could nod it home. Good play, but another corner from Cabella goes to waste as Speroni takes the catch with ease.
SAVE: Very good save by Krul, who gets down low to deny Martin Kelly's goalbound drive after the defender surged through Newcastle's midfield. Coloccini heads away the resulting corner and the hosts can breathe a sigh of relief.
They got back on level terms eventually in the first half, but there's not many signs that they can't do it again you know. Pardew's side look devoid of any creativity, with Riviere cutting a lonesome figure as Newcastle's spearhead. It's not looking great.
It appears that we may be seeing Wilfried Zaha soon, as Warnock gives a few instructions to the winger on the bench.
CHANCE! Massive block from Scott Dann just there, as the defender throws himself in the way of Gouffran's effort from close range. The Frenchman couldn't get it out of his feet quick enough, allowing Dann to get back. It's a big opportunity for the hosts.
SUBSTITUTION: That's Gouffran's last contribution as he is replaced by 18-year-old Rolando Aarons. There's plenty of buzz around this kid so let's see how he does here.
Aarons's first act is a powerful one as the youngster fires a brilliant cross into the area but the Palace rearguard eventually thrash it away. Promising introduction so far anyway...
SUBSTITUTION: Gayle hobbles off the field looking a little disheveled as Zaha replaces him for his second Palace debut. About 20 minutes left.
SAVE! What a fantastic introduction from Zaha, who takes on Janmaat and wins before firing a left-footed shot at Krul, who keeps it out with his feet. That was probably the game just then. Newcastle have a corner, their 200th of the game I think it is now....
GOAL! Newcastle 2-2 Crystal Palace (Aarons)
And they finally make one of these corners count, and it's youngster Rolando Aarons! Cabella's corner is flicked on by Janmaat as Aarons gets on the end of it and heads into an empty net. He's known for his footwork the young winger but that was a decent header. What an impact!
Oh my. Newcastle and their 52,000-strong fans here are breathing a sigh of relief after Zaha has the ball in the net, but it's chalked off for offside. There's an excellent last 15 minutes left in this one folks. I promise.
SUBSTITUTION: Pardew is really going for this. He smells blood. Janmaat and De Jong come off for Vurnon Anita and striker Ayoze Perez. Will they nick it? Time will tell.
CHANCES! Between Aarons and Zaha, the pair are really doing the business for their respective teams here. Zaha, playing centrally it seems, is twice denied by Krul. He really, really should've scored one of those. Still, he's getting the chances and he may well make one of them count before long...
Warnock is hardly resting on his laurels, too, as he replaces Bolasie with striker Glenn Murray for the final eight minutes.
CHANCE! It's all about Aarons and Zaha at this stage folks, and it's Aarons this time. The winger takes aim from outside the area and looks to bend his shot past Speroni, which he did but it curled just wide of the post too.
Murray is making a nuisance of himself, but he fouls Krul in an attempt to reach Zaha's cross. Free to Newcastle.
GOAL! Newcastle 3-2 Crystal Palace (Williamson)
Mike Williamson looks to have won this for Newcastle folks, but it was Aarons again who showed just why he is so highly thought of in these parts. The youngster receives a pass out wide, fakes to shoot but cuts inside Mariappa before firing a cross-come-shot against the post, and Williamson is on hand to tap it into an empty net. Take a bow Mr Aarons.
SEVEN minutes added on: Well I said Williamson's goal was probably the winner, and it might be, but Palace have plenty of time in which to provide another late twist.
Palace pushing for another equaliser but Newcastle have done well to answer all of the questions that they're being asked in these closing stages.
GOAL! Newcastle 3-3 Crystal Palace (Zaha)
I don't believe it! Zaha has surely salvaged a point for Crystal Palace here as he rifles the equaliser past Krul. In truth he has deserved a goal. Between him and Aarons the duo have just been superb since coming on and it's made for a truly fantastic match.
FULL TIME: NEWCASTLE 3-3 CRYSTAL PALACE
Have we caught our breath? Good because it's finished, sadly. Wilfried Zaha pounced with a 95th-minute equaliser after Mike Williamson thought that his goal was enough to give Newcastle the victory. What a superb match.
Thanks for joining Sports Mole's live commentary of this six-goal thriller. I'm sure you enjoyed it as much as I did, but we've got match analysis and player ratings to come so stay tuned for that. Until then, good evening!
Written by
Shane Callaghan
Shane Callaghan
