Newcastle Utd 0 Hull 1:A VERY bad night for Joe Kinnear saw the Newcastle United manager dispatched to the stands once again before Daniel Cousin's late winner dumped his stuttering side out of the FA Cup.
A replay big on tragicomic managerial posturing but bereft of cup magic saw Kinnear and Phil Brown impersonate rutting stags before receiving their marching orders.
Hitherto struggling Hull City had been planning a break in the Middle East for the fourth round weekend but they will now host Millwall.
Newcastle, meanwhile, are left to reflect on a run of five games without a win.
The most notable first-half action took place in the technical area where Kinnear and Brown exchanged expletives before squaring up, nose to nose. Just as it seemed blows might be traded both managers were banished to the stands.
The catalyst was a tackle by Fabricio Coloccini on Cousin which rightly provoked a card from the referee, Phil Dowd.
Ever the showman, Brown vigorously applauded that decision only to become embroiled in a war of words with Chris Hughton, Newcastle’s first-team coach, before Kinnear intervened, wading into yet another brush with officialdom.
The 62-year-old is still awaiting the Football Association’s punishment after being sent off against Stoke City last month as well as for calling Martin Atkinson a “Mickey Mouse” referee at Fulham in November.
Back on the pitch, Xisco made his first start for Newcastle since October. Unfortunately the Spanish striker failed to seized this rare chance and fluffed his connection with a low cross from Jonas Gutierrez to send the ball looping over the bar from six yards in the first half.
Butt came closer when he headed Danny Guthrie’s free kick against the underside of the bar and, when Paul McShane and Kamil Zayatte collided while endeavouring to clear the ball, it span free for Michael Owen but the England striker lifted his effort well above the bar.
The second half began with Owen still out of sorts. Played onside by Nathan Doyle, he allowed Matt Duke to save his shot from close range. George Boateng, meanwhile, was stretchered off with a leg injury following a tackle by Butt.
Hull finally won it in the 81st minute when Bernard Mendy’s shot was blocked and the ball dropped for Richard Garcia, whose cross was turned in by Cousin.
There was time for Owen to miss a third chance but the whistle was soon blown on Newcastle’s dreams for another season.
NEWCASTLE UTD: Given, Edgar, Bassong, Coloccini, N’Zogbia, Gutierrez (LuaLua 82), Butt, Guthrie, Duff, Owen, Xisco (Carroll 76). Subs not used: Harper, Taylor, Kadar, Donaldson, Ranger. Booked: Coloccini.
HULL CITY: Duke, Doyle, McShane, Zayatte, Ricketts, Fagan (Mendy 74), Halmosi, Boateng (Ashbee 67), France, Garcia, Cousin (Folan 86). Subs not used: Warner, Featherstone, Giannakopoulos, Atkinson. Booked: Ricketts, Fagan.
Referee: Phil Dowd (Staffordshire).
