Video Sunderland 1 - 1 Newcastle United

He was left thanking Demba Ba last night after a late own-goal got the Black Cats out of jail just when it looked like there was no way back.

Losing to Newcastle on your home patch is never a good career move for a Sunderland boss. Just ask Steve Bruce.

But when you are playing against 10 men for over an hour, defeat would have stung O’Neill very badly indeed.

In the cold light of day, Toon will feel gutted they were not able to convert their dominance into three points.

Ahead after just three minutes through Yohan Cabaye, Alan Pardew’s men bossed their bitter rivals even after the sending off of midfield enforcer Cheick Tiote.

The Ivory Coast ace’s 25th-minute challenge on Steven Fletcher was reckless and stupid.

He knows it, Pards knows it and so did ref Martin Atkinson who wasted no time in dishing out his red card.

CABAYE OF THE TIGER ... Yohan Cabaye slots in for Newcastle
CABAYE OF THE TIGER ... Yohan Cabaye slots in for Newcastle

That should have given O’Neill’s lads the push to really go on and take the game by the scruff the neck.

But it did not happen.

Marshalled by the outstanding Fabricio Coloccini, Newcastle simply dug in and held firm, as they always do. Cabaye and Hatem Ben Arfa were running the midfield and Sunderland really could not get a look in.

Huffing, puffing and plenty more huffing from the home side.

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All their key men had stinkers. Fletcher barely saw the ball, James McClean kept giving it away — and the less said about Stephane Sessegnon’s contribution, the better.

Adam Johnson was anonymous at best but no one could ever accuse an O’Neill team of lacking heart.

They may have struggled to break the Geordies down yet they kept probing and when Ba diverted John O’Shea’s corner with four minutes left, there was a sense of inevitability about it all.

Black Cats fans would have gone home pleased to avoid defeat.

Toon supporters made the 13-mile trip back to Newcastle knowing it should have ended a whole lot better.

CABAYE THE LAD ... Yohan Cabaye celebrates his goal
CABAYE THE LAD ... Yohan Cabaye celebrates his goal

The start they made certainly had the Geordies jumping.

Just three minutes had elapsed when Cabaye swept home at the end of Newcastle’s first attack.

Danny Rose, opting to be thrown straight into battle following his Serbian race-hate nightmare with England Under-21s, gave the ball away to the excellent Ben Arfa.

McClean’s slip was crucial and, after Ba’s shot was saved by keeper Simon Mignolet, Cabaye was on hand to fire Pards’ men ahead.

It was a cracking start to what are normally tight, tense affairs.

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Tiote and Cabaye were winning the midfield battle against Swede Seb Larsson and Jack Colback.

Larsson had a free-kick tipped over by Tim Krul in the home side’s best effort of a dispiriting first-half show.

Newcastle looked the better side but then came Tiote’s late lunge on Fletcher to turn the game in an instant.

Ironically, Newcastle had already won the free-kick for Colback grappling with the Ivorian.

But Tiote really should know better.

STUDS-UP ... Cheick Tiote clatters into Steven Fletcher and is sent off
STUDS-UP ... Cheick Tiote clatters into Steven Fletcher and is sent off

You would have thought it would have been the spark to light Sunderland’s fire.

Problem was, they lacked the imagination to break down Toon’s defence led by the brilliant returning Coloccini. Pards gushed the Argentian’s display was one Bobby Moore would have been proud of.

The second half was much the same as the first — no way through for the home side and a defensive masterclass from the visitors.

Keeper Krul fumbled a shot from McClean on 70 minutes before Ba was set free but was unable to provide the killer touch.

Coloccini was forced off with cramp in the 80th minute allowing Steven Taylor to enter the fray.

CHEICK OUT ... ref Martin Atkinson shows Cheick Tiote the red card
CHEICK OUT ... ref Martin Atkinson shows Cheick Tiote the red card

The Toon defender angered Sunderland fans with his pre-derby jibes about none of their idols being good enough to get in the Geordies team.

Yet the tasteless chants from the home fans wishing he was dead were sick and totally uncalled for.

Playing with a man down for so long was always going to take its toll.

Larsson’s free-kick was headed on by O’Shea and straight on to Ba, who could only watch as the ball smacked off his head and past Krul.

The noise which greeted the leveller was raucous, explosive and deafening.

Finally, Sunderland had the bit between their teeth and in the dying seconds they almost nicked all three points when McClean shot just wide.

FLOORED ... Demba Ba looks dejected after his own goal
FLOORED ... Demba Ba looks dejected after his own goal

Honours even and, this time, both bosses behaved themselves.

O’Neill joked he had warned Pardew to keep his head this time after last season’s St James’ Park shame.

It was Pardew, though, who had more to smile about last night.

DREAM TEAM

STAR MAN - FABRICIO COLOCCINI (Newcastle)

SUNDERLAND: Mignolet 6, Gardner 6, O’Shea 6, Cuellar, 6, Rose 6, Johnson 5 (Vaughan 5), Larsson 5, Colback 5, McClean 5, Sessegnon 5 (Saha 5), Fletcher 5. Subs not used: Bardsley, Campbell, Kilgallon, Meyler, Westwood.

NEWCASTLE: Krul 6, Simpson, 6, Coloccini 8 (S Taylor 5), Williamson 7, Santon 6, Ben Arfa 7 (Obertan 5), Cabaye 7, Tiote 6, Gutierrez 6, Ba 6, Sh Ameobi 5 (Perch 6). Subs not used: Anita, Cisse, Ferguson, Harper. Sent Off: Tiote. Booked: Sh Ameobi, Coloccini, Williamson, Cabaye.

REF: M Atkinson 6