Source: Daily_Mail
Hull City 1 Newcastle 1: Magpies sink deeper into mire with dire draw
Steven Taylor grabbed a crucial equaliser but Newcastle[LNB]were still pushed closer towards relegation by Hull[LNB]this afternoon. [LNB]The Magpies are now in deep trouble at the bottom of the BarclaysPremier League after being forced to settle for a draw at the KCStadium.[LNB][LNB] Sinking feeling: Geovanni (right) beats Newcastle keeper Stephen Harper[LNB] HULL NEWS FROM ACROSS THE WEB[LNB]NEWCASTLE NEWS FROM ACROSS THE WEB[LNB]Arsenal 4 Blackburn 0[LNB]Manchester United 1 Liverpool 4[LNB]Bolton 1 Fulham 3[LNB]Everton 3 Stoke 1[LNB]Hull v Newcastle: How the game unfolded[LNB]Middlesbrough 1 Portsmouth 1[LNB]Sunderland 1 Wigan 2[LNB]But their plight could have been worse had Taylor not replied to the inspirational Geovanni's early effort. [LNB] Newcastle now face Arsenal and Chelsea in the next fortnight and their top-flight status is looking precarious. [LNB]Chris Hughton remains in caretaker charge in the continued absence of Joe Kinnear and the club have won only one of their last 11 games. [LNB]They were at least buoyed by the return of Michael Owen after five games out with an ankle injury but the striker had a quiet comeback and was withdrawn after 72 minutes.[LNB]Hull were certainly happier to take a draw and inch another point closer to their survival target. [LNB]The Yorkshire side were allowed to dominate the opening half-hour as Newcastle continually gifted Brazilian playmaker Geovanni space to attack. [LNB]The former Barcelona player threatened from early on with a tricky run into the box but Fabricio Coloccini covered. [LNB]Bernard Mendy also had an opening on the right but, after initially getting the better of Jose Enrique, the Newcastle left-back recovered and blocked. [LNB][LNB] Wall of shame: Newcastle's Nicky Btt, Alan Smith, Steve Taylor and Sebastien Bassong form a semblance of a wall[LNB]Hull grabbed the lead in the ninth minute after a swift counter-attack started and finished by Geovanni. [LNB] His spat with manager Phil Brown after being substituted a fortnight ago consigned to the past, Geovanni relished the chance to break from inside his own half after a Newcastle attack broke down. [LNB]He powered forward to release Craig Fagan down the left and then continued his run into the box to head firmly past Steve Harper after being picked out by a fine return cross. [LNB] It was his seventh goal for Hull since his summer move from Manchester City but his first since playing against his former club in November. [LNB]Obafemi Martins curled a shot just over as Newcastle tried to respond but a wide-open Geovanni caught the visitors out again, only to deliver a poor cross. [LNB] Fagan, who has history with Newcastle after his leg was broken in the reverse fixture last September, was booked for confronting Steven Taylor following a clash between the pair. [LNB][LNB] Point made: Newcastle's Steven Taylor and Michael Owen (left) celebrate the equaliser[LNB]Geremi was also given a yellow card moments later for a foul on Kamil Zayatte. Sebastien Bassong then clashed with Hull goalkeeper Matt Duke in a scrappy passage of play. [LNB] But Hull retained the upper hand and Geovanni won a free-kick on the edge of the area after being clipped by Geremi. His curling effort looked to have Harper beaten but it just drifted wide of the post. [LNB] Newcastle levelled against the run of play seven minutes before half-time when Nicky Butt crossed and Taylor flicked a well-controlled volley over Duke from the near post. [LNB]Daniel Cousin had a chance to restore Hull's lead before the break but shot well wide and Fagan also fired over with an overhead kick. [LNB]Newcastle appeared to tighten up early in the second half and Brown changed things for Hull by swapping Cousin for Manucho. [LNB]Martins had a good chance on the volley for the Magpies but Hull skipper Ian Ashbee blocked. [LNB] Manucho, buoyed by his late winner at Fulham, was quickly into the action and forced Harper to save low down after being fed by Mendy. [LNB][LNB] Heads I win: Geovanni heads home for Hull[LNB]A good run by Geremi then allowed Martins to set up Jonas Gutierrez but the Argentinian curled his effort over. [LNB] Martins had another chance after getting ahead of Sam Ricketts but he could not make firm contact with a shot as Duke closed him down. [LNB] But Newcastle switched off again and Mendy should have punished them after breaking clear down the right. [LNB]Manucho was unmarked in the box but the Frenchman badly mishit his cross and a relieved Harper was able to gather. [LNB] Hull appeared to settle for a point as the clock wound down and they spent most of the closing stages defending. [LNB]Newcastle pressed but were unable to find a way through and, with their difficult run-in ahead, only time will tell if the draw proves good enough..[LNB] [LNB]
