Hull City hosted Newcastle United at the KC Stadium on Saturday afternoon as Steve Bruce's side looked to move a step closer to securing their Premier League status.
Moussa Sissoko opened the scoring for Newcastle with a fine finish before Loic Remy took advantage of a defensive mistake to double the away side's lead before the break.
Curtis Davies pulled a goal back for Hull early in the second half but Newcastle completed an impressive 4-1 victory thanks to a second strike from Sissoko and Vurnon Anita's stoppage time goal.
Read below to find out how the drama unfolded on an afternoon when Alan Pardew was sent to the stands for clashing with David Meyler.
Good afternoon everyone. It's another busy weekend of Premier League action and I'm here to bring you all the drama from Newcastle United's trip to the KC Stadium to face Hull City. Kickoff is an hour away. Who are you backing today?
Hull have enjoyed a brilliant week, following up a 4-0 thrashing of Cardiff by securing a spot in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup with a win over Brighton & Hove Albion. Steve Bruce's side will be full of confidence in front of their own supporters this afternoon.
Newcastle claimed a big, big win last Sunday. Frustration was beginning to grow for the supporters but Loic Remy's dramatic late winner to beat Aston Villa has certainly calmed things down a bit. Alan Pardew will be eager for his team not to let their season end poorly over the next couple of months.
HULL: McGregor, Bruce, Davies, Figueroa, Elomhamady, Rosenior, Meyler, Huddlestone, Livermore, Jelavic, Long
SUBSTITUTES: Harper, Chester, Koren, Boyd, Sagbo, Aluko, Quinn
NEWCASTLE: Krul, Debuchy, Williamson, Yanga-Mbiwa, Dummett, Sissoko, Tiote, Anita, Gouffran, de Jong, Remy
SUBSTITUTES: Alnwick, S. Taylor, Haidara, Gosling, Marveaux, Shola Ameobi, Cisse
Allan McGregor, Alex Bruce and Tom Huddlestone move up from the bench for Hull, while Nikica Jelavic and Shane Long return to the side after being cup-tied on Monday as Steve Bruce turns back to his regulars in the search for another Premier League win.
Just two changes for Newcastle this afternoon. Fabricio Coloccini has returned to Argentina due to a family bereavement and he's replaced by Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa. Papiss Cisse drops to the bench, which means that Luuk de Jong is likely to play just behind Remy.
That's the team news sorted. Hull will be hoping that Long and Jelavic can fire again at the KC Stadium. The strikers have been impressive since joining the club in January and how they perform could be key today.
Hull have been flirting with relegation in recent months but a good run of results means that they are now looking to secure a mid-table finish, rather than sweating over their Premier League status. They're not safe yet but Bruce deserves great credit for the way his side have coped with the demands of football in the top-flight. He's bought well and has a team that are very comfortable playing his system.
What is Newcastle's target this season? If they fail to hold on to eighth spot I think their fans will be bitterly disappointed but they may be looking ahead. They're currently five points behind Everton. It would take a big effort to claim seventh but it's certainly not impossible.
Hull fans will be boosted by this statistic. Newcastle have not managed to beat Hull in their previous five meetings in all competitions, which is a run that dates back to a League Cup victory in 1997.
Just over half an hour until kickoff at the KC Stadium. Remember, you can follow live text coverage of any of the Premier League games this afternoon by clicking on the fixture in the live scores box. We'll also be bringing you analysis and reaction when the final whistles are blown later this afternoon.
The last time these two sides met we were treated to a five-goal thriller back in September. Remy scored twice for Newcastle that day but it was Hull who had the last laugh when Sone Aluko fired in a superb volley to earn a 3-2 win for his side. More of the same today, please.
PREDICTION: It's time to have a guess at what the score will be at the KC Stadium. Hull are in good form following two important victories in the past week but Newcastle will have their confidence back thanks to that Remy winner over Villa on Sunday. I'll go for a 2-2 draw.
More and more fans are coming through the turnstiles as kickoff quickly approaches. It promises to be an exciting afternoon. Hull will always look to get on the front foot at home but Newcastle are unlikely to want to sit back.
Goals has been the big problem for Newcastle in recent weeks. A four-game drought was ended by Remy on Sunday but it's difficult to see how they can threaten unless the French striker is on the top of his game. Is he playing his way to a move to a bigger side? QPR will sell to the highest bidder. A number of teams will surely be interested.
STAT: Newcastle have won their last seven matches when striker Loic Remy has scored. However, without Remy during the campaign, they've taken just one point from five games. Pardew cannot afford for his forward to get injured.
Hull might be just a couple more wins away from Premier League safety. I'm not sure if many people will be tipping Bruce's side to go down but they'll want to be sure sooner rather than later. They could be sitting in 10th position later this afternoon.
Just under 15 minutes away from action at the KC Stadium. The players have gone back inside for their final preparations and last minute team talks. Plenty of optimism from Hull supporters today. Can they deliver another win?
Hull have already earned the same amount of points (30) they achieved in the whole of the 2009-10 season, when they were relegated from the top flight. That has to come as very good news for all you Hull supporters out there.
KEY MAN: For Hull City, the key player for them every week is surely Tom Huddlestone. The midfielder controls the tempo for Steve Bruce's side and it's his range of passing that will create opportunities for Long and Jelavic in attack this afternoon.
KEY MAN: I've already mentioned it today but it's almost impossible to look past Loic Remy for Newcastle. The striker is usually at the heart of most good things for the teams and if he has his shooting boots on, the Magpies will fancy their chances of picking up three points.
The teams are out in the middle. Just a few moments away from kickoff at the KC Stadium. Make sure you stay with me for coverage throughout the 90 minutes.
Here we go then. Hull will get the game underway.
The visiting supporters get excited when Remy bursts through on goal but his progress is halted by the offside flag.
Decent start from Newcastle at the KC Stadium. Excellent atmosphere inside the ground in the early stages but no chances for either side yet.
SHOT! A good spell of pressure from the visitors puts Hull on the back foot and the ball is worked nicely to Gouffran, who curls a shot wide from the edge of the box. Nice move from Newcastle.
Steve Bruce will be slightly concerned with how his side have started. They've not settled down yet and are second best to most things in the early stages at the KC Stadium. Promising signs for Newcastle.
Alex Bruce handles the ball and gifts Newcastle a free kick in a dangerous position. Dummett curls in a good cross but Hull manage to clear the danger.
GOAL! HULL 0-1 NEWCASTLE (Sissoko)
Incredible few moments of football at the KC Stadium! Huddlestone's free kick is met by Bruce, who sees a header saved by Krul. The defender attempts to smash home the rebound but Newcastle's goalkeeper reacts superbly to deny him again. Newcastle get to the other end of the pitch less than a minute later and Sissoko manages to slot home the opener following an inviting pass from Debuchy. Great goalkeeping, excellent goal.
CLOSE! The drama keeps on coming. It's Alex Bruce involved again but his dad won't be happy to see the centre back head over the crossbar from Rosenior's cross.
A fantastic few minutes of action has created a brilliant atmosphere inside the ground. The Newcastle supporters are heaping praise on Krul, who must still be trying to work out how he denied Alex Bruce twice. Hull have responded well since the goal.
Huddlestone clips a lovely pass over the Newcastle defence to bring the home supporters to their feet but the move is brought to an abrupt halt when Williamson recovers impressively to tackle Jelavic.
Long attempts to link up with his strike partner by playing a clever through ball but Jelavic is once again left frustrated when he turns to see that the assistant referee has raised his flag. Hull need to be patient. They're seeing plenty of the ball.
Rosenior has been given plenty of space on the right in the first half but he fails to take full advantage on this occasion as a deep cross evades everyone inside the box before drifting out of play to gift the ball back to Newcastle.
Very optimistic shout from Jelavic for a penalty when he collides with Dummett in the box. Referee Kevin Friend waves away the protests from the striker. Good decision, on first look.
De Jong is brought down by Figueroa, which hands Newcastle a free kick in a very good position. However, Remy's inability to beat the offside trap costs the visitors as another move comes to an end.
Much easier save for Krul as the Dutch goalkeeper is barely asked to move to collect a tame header from Long. Could that stunning double save from Bruce be the key moment in this match?
Brief break in play when Debuchy requires treatment. He's quickly back on his feet and will be fine to continue.
CHANCE! Hull should be level. Elmohamady produces a superb cross to pick out Jelavic, who can only head wide of the target under pressure from Williamson. The Croatian will certainly be disappointed with that effort.
YELLOW CARD! Tiote become the first man to receive a caution this afternoon following a late challenge on Huddlestone.
Newcastle win a free kick 25 yards from goals. Remy wins the right to take on the shot but his effort is struck straight at the wall. Hull react well to win the second ball and clear the danger.
Steve Bruce will be desperate for his side to pull level before the half time interval. Jelavic's chance was a great opportunity and they certainly cannot afford to miss many more of those. Decent game at the KC Stadium.
YELLOW CARD! Yanga-Mbiwa joins Tiote in the book when he hauls down Long 25 yards from goal. Good position for Hull.
CROSSBAR! I said it was a good position and Jelavic certainly agreed. The forward curls a superb effort against the crossbar before seeing the ball cleared to safety. Brilliant effort from the former Everton ace.
Hull seem to be taking control of the game now, despite still being behind. Newcastle are looking calm but they're being asked a few more questions by the hosts as half time approaches.
CHANCE! It's another missed opportunity for Hull. Long does superbly well to earn himself some space on the left before delivering a perfect cross, which is headed wide by Elmohamady at the back post. Terrible miss.
GOAL! HULL 0-2 NEWCASTLE (REMY)
If you don't take your chances, you will be punished. Newcastle are gifted a second goal against the run of play when Figueroa's weak pass to McGregor is intercepted by Remy, who takes the ball past the goalkeeper before slotting home. Newcastle double their lead just before the break. Pardew is delighted.
That goal will certainly knock Hull's confidence. They've responded impressively since falling behind but they face a big challenge to avoid defeat from this position. Can Hull hit back?
The fourth official confirms that there will be two minutes added on.
Very little to report during stoppage time. The Hull supporters aren't sure how to react. Newcastle's visiting supporters are enjoying their day out at the moment.
HALF-TIME: HULL 0-2 NEWCASTLE
What a fascinating first half of football at the KC Stadium. Newcastle took the lead through Sissoko just a few seconds after a wonderful double save from Tim Krul. Hull responded well and missed a number of good opportunities before falling further behind when Remy punished a terrible back pass from Figueroa.
Pardew will be delighted with his players at the break. They've defended impressively and took advantage of some luck to build a two-goal lead. Newcastle will know that they can afford to hit Hull on the break in the second half.
What will Steve Bruce be telling his players? There simply cannot be anymore defensive mistakes but in terms of their attacking approach, it's not been too bad. However, they need to get their midfielders closer to the front two. We've seen very little of Livermore and Meyler this afternoon.
The next goal will decide how the remainder of this game plays out. If Hull can pull one back early in the second half, the pressure will be on Newcastle to protect their lead. A third goal for the visitors would surely put the result beyond doubt.
No goals anywhere else in the Premier League yet, with Chelsea, Arsenal and Everton all currently being held by their respective opponents. It could end up being a very good afternoon for the teams not in action.
The teams are back out in the middle for the start of the second half. It will be Newcastle who get the game back underway.
GOAL! HULL 1-2 NEWCASTLE (DAVIES)
What did I say about an early goal? Steve Bruce's words during the interval do the trick as Hull hit back in the first minute of the second half. A free kick from Huddlestone finds Davies, who gives Krul no chance as he pulls a goal back with a fine header. Newcastle's shot-stopper will be very disappointed. He came off his line but was nowhere near beating Davies to the ball.
Big reaction from the home supporters. They know that the comeback is on now. Hull have plenty of time but Bruce will want his side to keep the tempo up. Newcastle need to settle down quickly.
Newcastle calm the game down with an extended spell of possession as they look to frustrate the hosts. A replay of the Davies goal shows that the ball flicked Krul's glove on the way to the back of the net.
Superb defending from Dummett to catch and tackle Elmohamady, who was threatening after earning himself some space on the right wing. Great work and it's appreciated by his supporters.
YELLOW CARD! Jelavic charges down a Krul clearance but he's punished when the ball hits his hand. It's a yellow card for the striker.
GOAL! HULL 1-3 NEWCASTLE (SISSOKO)
This game takes another twist as Newcastle restore their two-goal lead. Hull waste a good opportunity to cause problems from a free kick and the visitors break quickly. Gouffran's effort is saved by McGregor but the ball falls to Sissoko, who taps in his second of the game.
That might just be the hammer blow for Hull, who would have been optimistic after pulling a goal back. There's still plenty of time left and you wouldn't be surprised if there was more goals scored.
Jelavic is given a lecture by the referee after catching Williamson in an aerial battle. The forward has already been booked, so he won't be allowed another mistake.
CLOSE! Dummett hits a corner to Debuchy on the edge of the box and the French defender targets the top corner with a powerful volley. De Jong attempts to help the effort on its way but he fails to hit the target.
SUBSTITUTIONS: Figueroa, who has had a poor afternoon, and Livermore come off to make way for Robert Koren and Sone Aluko as Hull search for a way back into this game.
The ball is pulled back to Remy on the edge of the box but he fails to add to his personal tally when he strikes an effort into the stands behind the goal. Decent opening for the striker.
Debuchy beats a couple of players to reach the byline but he fails to miss out McGregor with his cross towards Remy inside the box. Just 25 minutes left for Hull to produce a fightback.
The game is lacking a bit of fluency now as a frustrated Hull side commit a number of fouls within the space of just a couple of minutes. Newcastle are playing this game perfectly and are just waiting for opportunities to come their way.
Newcastle's defence are doing a superb job this afternoon. They're dealing with everything thrown at them. Excellent work from Debuchy and Williamson, in particular.
Wow. Ugly scenes at the KC Stadium. You will not believe this until you see it. A replay has just shown which caused the incident. Meyler nudged Pardew away in an attempt to get the ball back in quickly and the Newcastle manager responded by attempting to headbutt the Hull midfielder. Amazing. I've never seen anything like it. Not much contact but I don't think that will matter.
YELLOW CARD! After all of that controversy, Meyler is shown a yellow card and Pardew is sent to the stands. I'd be shocked if that's the only punishment dished out to the Newcastle manager. Incredible few minutes in this match.
An Elmohamady corner is cleared to the edge of the box, where Koren unleashes a powerful effort. However, his shot is headed clear by Williamson as Newcastle clear the danger once again.
Tiote concedes a free kick in a very dangerous position but he makes up for his mistake by retreating into his own box and clearing the cross delivered by Huddlestone.
This has been a very entertaining game but there's only one story that will dominate the headlines for the next few days. What will happen to Pardew? Back on the pitch, it's Newcastle doing the pressing at the moment.
A couple of very optimistic penalty appeals from both sides in the space of a couple of minutes. Long collides with a couple of Newcastle defenders but it certainly would have been a harsh call to point to the spots. A few moments later it's Remy's turn to threaten but Davies is adjudged to have won the ball fairly in the box.
YELLOW CARD! A frustrated Huddlestone chops down Tiote in midfield and is booked for the challenge.
Williamson is forced to concede a corner, despite getting the better of Aluko. The ball from Elmohamady is dangerous but Krul rises highest to collect.
Pardew might not be on the sidelines to celebrate but it looks like Newcastle are closing in on a very impressive away victory. Five minutes plus stoppage time remaining at the KC Stadium.
SUBSTITUTION: Davies comes off to be replaced by James Chester. Hull supporters will be hoping that change wasn't due to a serious injury.
Long creates some space before picking out Jelavic, who fails to direct a glancing header at goal from a tight angle. Hull are running out of time.
SUBSTITUTION: Dan Gosling comes on for the closing stages to replace De Jong.
The fourth official confirms that there will be three minutes of added time played.
Hull break in numbers to put the visitors under pressure but Newcastle recover well to clear the initial danger. A cross is then sent into the box a few moments later and Debuchy is forced to head clear.
GOAL! HULL 1-4 NEWCASTLE (ANITA)
Newcastle wrap up the victory by scoring a fourth in stoppage time. Gosling finds Dummett in the box and his cross picks out Anita, who slots home his first ever goal in the Premier League. It's a very impressive win but it will be overshadowed by a moment of madness from Pardew.
FULL-TIME: HULL CITY 1-4 NEWCASTLE UNITED
What an afternoon at the KC Stadium. Goals from Loic Remy and Moussa Sissoko handed Newcastle a 2-0 lead at the break before Curtis Davies pulled one back at the start of the second half. However, a second from Sissoko and a late Anita goal hands Newcastle a 4-1 success. That won't be the headline, though. Alan Pardew was sent to the stands for appearing to aim a headbutt at David Meyler. A big punishment is surely on its way. Thank you for joining me for a dramatic game. Goodbye.
Written by
Callum Mulvihill
Callum Mulvihill
