Bottom-of-the-table Fulham and Newcastle play out a goalless first 45 minutes at Craven Cottage in the first game of United manager Alan Pardew's seven-match suspension.

Newcastle United have been held to a half-time stalemate by bottom-of-the-table Fulham in the first game of Alan Pardew's seven-match suspension.

Yoan Gouffran of Newcastle controls the ball as Lewis Holtby of Fulham closes in during the Barclays Premier league match between Fulham and Newcastle United at Craven Cottage on March 15, 2014 © Getty Images

The Magpies boss is not allowed to be at Craven Cottage this afternoon as part of his record-breaking ban handed to him by the Football Association for his headbutting of Hull City's David Meyler.

In his absence, United had the majority of the ball but, without Loic Remy, rarely posed a goal threat. At the other end, Tim Krul was called into action on a couple of occasions.

Lewis Holtby tested the Dutchman when Krul was forced to get down low to palm away a bending effort from the Tottenham Hotspur loanee, who had cut in from the right and shot across goal.

Teenage striker Cauley Woodrow was handed a home debut by Whites boss Felix Magath and he had a poke blocked by Krul when the ball would not quite drip for him in the box on 16 minutes.

Luuk de Jong is without a goal in five matches since joining Newcastle on loan and he miscued a shot which fell to Papiss Cisse, who tried to steer the ball into the net only to be thwarted by David Stockdale.