As Alan Pardew said in the post-match press conference, it's truly panto season up on Tyneside. After a pulsating and often bad-tempered encounter, the whole game threatened to tip into farce in the run-up to injury time. Firstly Moussa Sissoko accidentally clocked referee Mike Jones and sent him sprawling to the turf, but that schadenfreude-packed incident proved just the warm-up act to the game's crowning silliness. With barely a minute remaining in injury time, Morgan Schneiderlin elected to carry out one of those blood-curdling challenges usually unseen outside Sunday league matches and drunken brawls outside a particularly seedy Wetherspoons. He was rightfully booked, but what happened next defied explanation. Taking issue with Schneiderlin's attempt to leave his studs in his player's leg, Newcastle coach Andy Woodward began to remonstrate with the entire Saints coaching bench. They duly accepted his challenge, and spurred on by ex-Spain international keeper Toni Jiminez, began a furore of pushing, shoving and name-calling, as a dejected Pardew and Pochettino looked on. It was all fight, fury and ruffled puffa-jackets. And you know what? Despite the condemnations of the incident, it was good to see a little fire in the staff, and an early treat for those who stayed up to watch the boxing later. It was all just argy-bargey with no real malicious intent an allegation of spitting was quickly quashed by both sides the sort of passion the men in suits often claim might be lacking in today's sanitised Premier League. As long as they don't start bringing weaponry, I say let the kerfuffles continue it's a fun distraction, and as Pardew said, it's just as good as the Panto.
Durham University graduate and qualified sports journalist. Very good at sitting down and watching things. Can multi-task this with playing computer games. Football Manager addict who has taken Shrewsbury Town to the summit of the Premier League.
You can follow me at @Ed_OwenUK, if you like ramblings about Newcastle United and A Place in the Sun. If you don't, I don't know what I can do for you.
