Hayden’s hailed for lighting up a reunion
and jaded especially up front and we gave away possession far too easily.
“We have to give supporters more to shout about.”
From the Canaries’ first corner in the fifth minute Dubravka pulled off a stunning reflex save to keep out Sam Byram’s near-post header.
Twelve minutes later, Pukki saw the Slovakian tip his volley over the bar.
He wasn’t Newcastle’s only saviour, however, with Federico Fernandez doing brilliantly to foil Pukki with a goal-saving tackle just as the Finn was poised to pull the trigger.
The Geordies’ sole tactic seemed to be feeding Allan Saint-Maximin and hoping his box of tricks would produce some magic.
He did cause Norwich problems with his twists and turns though the hosts’ best chance in the first period came from the opposite flank when Miguel Almiron should have headed them into a 20th-minute lead. DeAndre
WINGING HIS WAY BACK: David Ginola at St James’ Park
Yedlin produced his one decent cross of the half, Joelinton met it with a meaty header which was clawed away by ex-Newcastle No.1 Tim Krul.
The ball fell to Almiron, who then headed wide of a gaping target from six yards out. Newcastle were marginally better after the break, with former Magpie Grant Hanley almost putting through his own net following
Saint-Maximin’s cross. Krul then tipped over a Fernandez header. But Pukki will be kicking himself he didn’t win it for Norwich.
He blazed over in the 62nd minute when unmarked inside the box.
And 11 minutes later, he failed to get the better of Dubravka after a mistake by Jamaal Lascelles.
Ciaran Clark, facing the wrong way, almost put the follow-up into his own net but spared his own blushes with a last-gasp clearance.
JONATHAN WOODGATE hailed rookie Hayden Coulson for coming to his side’s rescue.
Rovers took the lead through Lewis Travis’ 57th-minute stunner.
But Coulson scored his first for Boro just four minutes after coming off the bench to salvage a point.
And Woodgate said: “I thought he was fantastic. He was ill before the last game, he didn’t quite recover in time and he’s trained for three days.
“I thought it was important to bring him off the bench and he made a big difference. He has that explosion of pace in his locker. There’s a lot more to come from him.’’
This was the fourth successive 1-1 draw between the sides on Teesside – on a day of reunions.
Woodgate, a Boro player when Tony Mowbray was manager, was also in opposition to brother-in-law and former team-mate Stewart Downing, who was playing against his old club at the Riverside for the first time.
“I was clapping myself when Tony brought him off,” said Woodgate.
Travis provided the breakthrough when he took a return from Adam Armstrong and slipped the ball into the far corner.
But after keeper Christian Walton could only get a hand to Lewis Wing’s effort, Coulson tapped in at the far post.
Mowbray believes Travis is heading for the top. The Rovers boss said: “He is an amazing kid. He’s a Scouser with fire burning in him.”