Newcastle United welcomed Metalist Kharkiv to St James' Park this evening, knowing that a win would put them in a strong position ahead of next week's second leg.

It proved to be a frustrating evening for the Magpies, who saw two goals chalked off for offside.

In the end, Myron Markevich's men hung on for a draw, which sets up a fascinating encounter in Ukraine.

Here, Sports Mole takes a closer look to see if the result was fair.

Match statistics

Newcastle
Shots: 9
On Target: 5
Possession: 44%
Corners: 5
Fouls: 13

Metalist
Shots: 8
On Target: 4
Possession: 56%
Corners: 5
Fouls: 11

Was the result fair?

No. Papiss Cisse had two goals disallowed, one which definitely should have stood. The other decision was marginal, but correct. They can count themselves unlucky not to be leading heading into the second leg.

Newcastle's performance

6/10. The Magpies did okay, although they did look vulnerable at times during the first half. They never really hit top gear, either. On another night, Cisse would have had a hat-trick, but his finishing left a lot to be desired.

Metalist's performance

6/10. The Ukrainians competed well in the first half, with Bonfim Marlos and Ribeiro Cleiton Xavier posing a particular threat. However, they noticeably tired in the second period. It's no surprise really, as it's currently pre-season for them. They were forced to hang on as the clock ticked down, but battled well.

Referee's performance

Tom Harald Hagen didn't make any glaring errors, but was all too eager to blow his whistle. He wasn't helped by some petty fouls in the closing stages of the game, though.

Sports Mole's man of the match

Oleksandr Goryainov: The 37-year-old goalkeeper kept his side in the tie with some outstanding saves, no more so than from Cisse right at the death.

Biggest gaffe

It has to be the decision to disallow Cisse's first goal for offside on Moussa Sissoko. The Frenchman was at least a couple of yards on, and that has cost Newcastle victory tonight.

What's next?

Newcastle: The Magpies make the trip to the Ukraine next week for the second leg.

Metalist: As stated, their domestic campaign is over, so their next match is also the return leg.

Written by
Michael Penkman