There was another Sunderland lead on their enemy's home ground thanks to the man Newcastle fans love to hate most, Kevin Phillips. There was a sustained Newcastle comeback and an equaliser from Craig Bellamy. There were numerous Newcastle chances, most of them squandered by Nolberto Solano.
At the beginning there had been a roar that is unlikely to be matched in England this season. There was even the return of Alan Shearer. Yet, for all that, yesterday's 132nd Tyne-Wear derby added up to a whole lot of nothing. It was quick and there was lots of it but ultimately it was as unsatisfactory as its fast-food equivalent.
"We should have won this by a cup of tea," said Bobby Robson, continuing the theme, albeit in his unique style. "But we came back from a deficit, that's something."
"It wasn't the best of games," said Phillips, rather more plainly. "Just a battle." How right he was. At least Sunderland had the consolation of a third successive 12-mile trip home without having lost. For Newcastle there was no comparable sense of comfort. This was a match United should have seized.
Early on Sunderland passed the ball better, with Stefan Schwarz excellent in midfield. It was from the Swede's 34th-minute in-swinging cross from the left that Phillips leapt to flick in the opener. The centre was swift and low, Phillips lost Nikos Dabizas without too much trouble and Shay Given was stranded on his line. Phillips supplied the necessary subtle touch.
With Niall Quinn surprisingly included ahead of Peter Reid's summer signing from Bordeaux, Lilian Laslandes, Sunderland had a familiar look and, for the first 40 minutes, a familiar fluency. Then, a couple of minutes later, faced with a loose ball near the centre circle, three Sunderland players stood off it and the game changed.
In stepped Laurent Robert, the winger Robson gave Paris St Germain £10 million for. Robert had shown some nice touches until that point, though nothing that left the neutral thinking the Parisians had got the worse of the deal.
Robert floated a 40-yard pass over the defence for Bellamy to chase. Emerson Thome was with Bellamy but managed not to produce a tackle. That allowed Bellamy a diagonal shot on the run. It was well struck but it should not have beaten Thomas Sorensen. Somehow it did.
Level at half-time, Newcastle took heart. Sunderland did not. Schwarz, Gavin McCann and Don Hutchison lost the grip they had and Robert Lee took over. Lee had seen his partner Gary Speed limp off but seemed inspired by the extra responsibility.
Lee's winning of possession gave Newcastle impetus. Robert had a useful cross down the left that Bellamy clipped over, and on the hour Solano had the first of a hat-trick of opportunities. This came from Lee's insightful pass and all Solano had to do was control the ball and score. Solano stood on the ball.
Eight minutes later Solano was free again, this time from Aaron Hughes's cross. Solano's task was to make reasonable contact. But the ball skimmed off his forehead and wide.
Andy O'Brien, on for the concussed Robbie Elliott, then wafted a shot over when well-placed and in the last minute Solano was released behind the Sunderland back line by Clarence Acuna. There was still time left for another Newcastle attack. Sorensen was rocked back by a 20-yard effort from Dabizas. The rebound fell to Solano but his side-foot was cleared off the line by Thome.
The whistle went, everyone sighed, Solano especially. "If he comes back from Peru having scored three, then I'll hang him," said Robson. "I tried to pick him up in the dressing-room," said Shearer. "I told him it could have been worse, he could have missed a penalty in the derby." The former England captain was referring to last year. That game will be remembered a good deal longer than this.
NEWCASTLE: Given, Barton, Hughes, Dabizas, Elliott (O'Brien 39), Solano, Lee, Speed (Acuna 42), Robert, Ameobi (Shearer 75), Bellamy. Subs Not Used: Harper, Lua-Lua. Booked: Robert, Barton. Goals: Bellamy 43.
SUNDERLAND: Sorensen, Haas, Craddock, Thome, Gray, Hutchison (Bellion 68), McCann, Schwarz (Rae 90), Kilbane, Phillips, Quinn. Subs Not Used: McCartney, Macho, Arca. Booked: Haas, McCann. Goals: Phillips 34.
Referee: M Riley (Leeds).
