A late header from Southampton substitute Shane Long denied Steve McClaren victory in his first match in charge of Newcastle United as the teams played out a 2-2 draw.

The Saints took the lead through Graziano Pelle in the 24th minute, but Papiss Cisse restored parity before the interval.

Georginio Wijnaldum put Newcastle in front with a debut goal after the break, but Long rescued a point for Southampton 11 minutes from time.

Here, Sports Mole takes a closer look at how each player fared at St James' Park.

Goal

Tim Krul: Produced several vital saves to prevent his side from falling behind. Was left exposed when the Saints did find a way through. (8/10)

Defence

Fabricio Coloccini: Worked hard throughout the match and provided an extra man in the box by getting forward, but his lack of pre-season action showed. Looked burnt out by the end. (6/10)

Chancel Mbemba: A solid debut from him. Failed to close down Graziano Pelle for the opening goal, but made amends by keeping the Italian out in the 89th minute. (6/10)

Massadio Haidara: Had his hands full with Dusan Tadic on the flank, but looks like Newcastle's best left-back. (6/10)

Daryl Janmaat: Looked shaky at the back and was easily out-jumped by Shane Long for the equaliser. (5/10)

Midfield

Jack Colback: Worked hard in the centre of the park. Pulled no punches with his challenges, hence the yellow card. (7/10)

Georginio Wijnaldum: A somewhat mixed debut marred by some poor crossing but got his name on the scoresheet, hinting at the potential to come. (7/10)

Moussa Sissoko: His strength and pace were among Newcastle's greatest assets. Led their counter-attacks and linked up well with Cisse. (8/10)

Vurnon Anita: Looked convincing in the holding role, but afternoon was cut short due to injury. (7/10)

Gabriel Obertan: Work rate and speed could not be faulted. An integral part of Newcastle's menacing counter-attack. (7/10)

Attack

Papiss Cisse: Played the role Newcastle needed him to play - goalscorer and target man in the box. (8/10)

Substitutes

Ismael Tiote: A replacement for the injured Vurnon Anita. Had little impact on the game. (6/10)

Siem De Jong: Looked solid considering he spent much of last season injured, but had no time to make an impact. (6/10)

Aleksandar Mitrovic: Booked within seconds of coming on for a rash tackle that suggests he could be a potential liabiity. (5/10)

Goal

Maarten Stekelenburg: Was at fault for Newcastle's first goal after misjudging a deflected cross. (6/10)

Defence

Cedric Soares: Brought much-needed width along the flank but was over-zealous. Substituted at half time because a second yellow card was a real possibility. (7/10)

Maya Yoshida: Marked Cisse well and was unlucky not to get his name on the scoresheet with a header saved by Krul. (7/10)

Jose Fonte: Looked organised and gelled with his teammates well, despite some scuffed clearances. (7/10)

Matt Targett: Struggled to keep up with the pace of Obertan and Sissoko. (6/10)

Midfield

Steven Davis: Provided essential support to the Saints defence with two vital blocks in front of goal. (8/10)

Jay Rodriguez: Back on the horse after a lengthy layoff. Complemented Pelle well but lack of match fitness apparent. (6/10)

Sadio Mane: A danger man throughout but was guilty of missing a sitter at the death. (7/10)

Dusan Tadic: Had a creative afternoon supplying Pelle with plenty of service. Great cross from deep for Long's goal. (8/10)

Victor Wanyama: A combative performance in the middle of the park. Put in plenty of tackles. (7/10)

Attack

Graziano Pelle: Unstoppable header to open the scoring and a towering threat throughout. (8/10)

Substitutes

Shane Long: Rescued a point with a bullet header. What more do you want from an impact sub? (8/10)

Cuco Martina: Southampton looked exposed along the right flank after he replaced Cedric. (5/10)

Written by
Mark Langshaw