Pulis labels Newcastle cheats after Stoke snatch late glory
NEWCASTLE UNITED (1) vs STOKE CITY (2)
STOKE manager Tony Pulis accused an unnamed Newcastle player of feigning injury after seeing his side come from behind to subject the Magpies to a second successive home defeat.
Kevin Nolan’s penalty put Newcastle in front after Robert Huth fouled Andy Carroll just before half-time, but a Kenwyne Jones header sparked the fightback and James Perch’s own goal ensured Stoke took maximum points.
Yet, after a week in which his side were accused of foul play following a controversial Andy Wilkinson tackle on Fulham’s Moussa Dembele, Pulis was far from happy at the behaviour of one Magpies player, who he refused to pinpoint.
“With the bad publicity we have had this week, I was really disappointed when one of the Newcastle players went down and I think simulated an injury from a challenge,” said Pulis.
“We have been highlighted with one or two other clubs for supposedly being over-physical, and there are other aspects to our game that need to be addressed, and that is certainly, for me, one of them.”
Newcastle manager Chris Hughton said he would be “very, very surprised” if one of his players had feigned injury. He added: “We were up against a hard-running, very physical side in Stoke who certainly put themselves about. But I certainly didn’t see any play-acting from any of our players.”
Hughton’s men, who knocked Chelsea out of the Carling Cup in midweek, have now lost back-to-back fixtures at St James’ Park, following the 2-0 defeat to Blackpool.