Newcastle 2 Hull 1: Toon cling on to hand Tigers first defeat of season despite Wissa penalty miss

NEWCASTLE desperately clung on and survived a late onslaught to end Hull City’s unbeaten run. A bad-tempered clash ended with Tigers boss Sergej Jakirovic confronting Toon’s coaching staff after his side’s 2-1 defeat. Newcastle hosted undefeated Hull at St James’ Park Credit: Getty Joe Willock handed the Magpies an early lead before Lewis Hall doubled it Credit: Shutterstock Editorial But despite the post-game confrontations, opposite number Matthias Jaissle breathed a huge sigh of relief after getting away with one. Toon looked to have produced the perfect response to their tonking at Leeds by blowing the Tigers away early doors. Sign up for the Football newsletter Thank you! Instead, despite securing the points, more questions and answers remain after a shocking second half showing. The early promise surrounding Jaissle’s start in charge was in desperate need of resuscitation after his men were bullied at Elland Road. READ MORE ON FOOTBALL NEWS But an electric start from Joe Willock and Lewis Hall sent shockwaves through the stunned Tigers. However, Yoane Wissa‘s failure to convert a penalty almost proved costly as Mohamed-Ali Cho set up the nervous finish. Stinging from the criticism in the aftermath of Monday’s 4-1 thumping in West Yorkshire, it took less than seven minutes for the feel-good factor to return. Despite pleas for patience with his newly-assembled young squad, those would not have stopped the storm clouds gathering over Tyneside with a defeat here. Most read in Sport BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS Fortunately, it was Newcastle’s old guard, led by architect Harvey Barnes, who blew them away despite Jaissle’s huge injury list. Dan Burn, Ewen Jaouen (both ankle), Joelinton (thigh) and William Osula (foot) were already crocked and out. And with Anthony Elanga (hamstring), Jacob Ramsey (thigh), Nico Gonzalez (concussion) and Amar Dedic (hamstring) joining them on the casualty list this week, the pressure was mounting. You could even feel the nerves within the Toon Army making their way up to the famous cathedral on the hill when the team news dropped and there was no sign of Tino Livramento either. Injuries had become an issue for the Toon in recent weeks Credit: Reuters That meant midfielder Lewis Miley filled in at right-back while Joe Willock dropped deeper to shield their vulnerable backline alongside 18-year-old Dutchman Sean Steur. It was a daunting task, especially against a physical Hull team aiming to become the first promoted side to avoid losing any of their opening five Premier League matches since Portsmouth in 2003-04. But Newcastle’s fears were eased in the third minute, and by the seventh they had evaporated. It was exactly the start German Jaissle, 38, will have dreamed of. Hull now lie in seventh, while Newcastle climb to eighth in the table Credit: Reuters The result is Hull’s first Premier League defeat this season Credit: Getty Winger Barnes drove straight at Hull’s defence after they failed to clear, slipping it to Willock to pull the trigger past John Egan’s lunge and into Tzolakis’ net. The Greek, who had amassed three clean sheets in his first four top-flight appearances, was still shell-shocked when the hosts doubled the lead. Hall won it off Oli McBurnie on halfway to start the move and kept running. He laid to Barnes, who again surged forward, before getting it back and firing past the static Tzolakis. St James’ was rocking but, as ever, they never do anything easy this Newcastle lot. The Mags had recorded just two clean sheets in their last 20 league games with only Crystal Palace and Chelsea conceding more Prem goals than them in 2026. Toon’s goalie Lukas Hornicek almost gifted the visitors an instant way back. After turning into trouble inside his box, Mohamed Belloumi pinched the ball off him, but luckily the Czech recovered in time to block the forward’s shot. The Tigers clawed one back but it wasn’t enough to finish level Credit: Alamy Hull were banging on the door for an equaliser as the Toon clung on Credit: Reuters A fantastic tackle from Miley prevented Sorba Thomas with a tap-in from Matt Crooks’ cross. Though it should have been game over moments before the break. Miley nicked the ball off Thomas, who fell over and stopped Murphy from latching on to it by pulling at the winger’s ankle. Wissa stepped up to take the penalty, only this time Tzolakis dived outstretched to his left to push wide. It felt big. That would surely have killed off the Tigers, just like it did Newcastle when conceding at the same stage at Leeds. And it certainly knocked the wind out of the Mags. Despite Sven Botman coming close with a header from Hall’s free-kick, the away side came out with a belief they could get something. They got all the encouragement they needed as they latched on to Botman’s poor clearance only for the lively Belloumi to curl over. But the Tigers sunk their teeth in when given another bite of the cherry. Belloumi took advantage of Miley’s miscontrol and found sub Cho, who held off Botman to slot past Hornicek. Toon were tiring fast as Belloumi forced Newcastle’s keeper into a flying stop from distance. Hearts were in mouths again when Tim Iroegbunam smashed a half-volley an inch wide of the far top corner as pressure continued to mount. Barnes could have put everyone out there misery but hit it straight at Tzolakis as Hull continued to throw everything at it only for Newcastle to somehow survive. Comment now