Kinnear outburst could prove costly

Kinnear, who is already facing a Football Association charge of improper conduct for branding official Martin Atkinson "a Mickey Mouse referee", was sent from the bench by Mike Riley for comments made to one of his assistants in the wake of Abdoulaye Faye's injury-time equaliser in the 2-2 draw at St James' Park.

The former Wimbledon boss once again left coach Chris Hughton to conduct the post-match press conference, and he revealed the 61-year-old had been asked to leave the technical area after disputing the free-kick awarded against Sebastien Bassong for a foul on Ricardo Fuller in the run-up to Stoke's late leveller.

Hughton said: "I think it was for perceived comments, but from where I was, I certainly didn't hear anything. That's what I think it was for.

"Joe's okay, he is fine. He just felt that every now and again it is not a bad idea to have a little change of voice.

"One thing I can tell you is that it's a very, very emotional game, certainly at that stage of the game.

"The linesman had given a decision some four minutes before that, which having seen it again, is exactly the same as our thoughts were at the time - that it wasn't a free-kick."

Stoke looked dead and buried when Michael Owen helped himself to a first-half double to give his side the perfect start.

But Mamady Sidibe levelled on the hour as Newcastle turned in a dreadful display, and Faye, who had minutes earlier passed up a glorious opportunity, made no mistake at the second time of asking when substitute Glenn Whelan's free-kick eventually arrived at his feet.

Hughton said: "We would certainly look at it as two points lost, one, because we were winning the game reasonably comfortably at half-time, and the fact that it is a home game."