Alan Pardew: 'My players are Geordie heroes'

Newcastle United manaher Alan Pardew has hailed his players as 'Geordie heroes' after their 1-1 draw with Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Javier Hernandez opened the scoring for the hosts, but a controversial Demba Ba penalty secured a share of the spoils for the Magpies.

"We had some Geordie heroes, who showed they can compete with one of the best teams in Europe," Pardew told BBC Sport.

"We closed them down, made it difficult for them and were absolutely superb. We've shown we are a good side.

"Next week - when we play Chelsea - is a platform to show we can beat a top Premier League side."

The draw has left the North East club fourth in the Premier League table.