Pardew and O’Neill in derby rage

PARD DAY'S LIFE ... Pardew tries to square up with O'Neill on the touchline

NEWCASTLE and Sunderland were locked in an angry war of words last night as the Tyne-Wear derby exploded with fury.

Black Cats boss Martin O'Neill accused Toon of trying to influence referee Mike Dean at half-time, which was denied by Alan Pardew.

Tempers flared on the touchline with Toon chief Pards and O'Neill squaring up before and after Demba Ba won a 72nd-minute penalty.

The spot-kick was saved by Simon Mignolet before Shola Ameobi levelled at the death.

But with Toon goalkeeping coach Andy Woodman sent to the stands for a bust-up with Sunderland's Jim Henry, clashes erupted all over the place.

Add in eight bookings, as well as two straight red cards for Stephane Sessegnon, during the game, and Lee Cattermole, AFTER full-time, it was carnage.

O'Neill said: "The ref said he had sent Lee off for foul and abusive language towards the ref. It must have been coming up towards the tunnel. I don't think you can be doing that.

"You should leave that to me if that's the case. But possibly in mitigation we had heard that some of their staff had visited the ref's changing room at half-time.

"We're not party to what was said. Lee's mitigating circumstance was a lot of decisions had gone Newcastle's way in the second half. That may be but that doesn't mean I agree with it. Newcastle can count themselves lucky to have 11 men on the field at the end if the ref is continuing to play according to the way he started the game.

"It's unfair for me to make an assessment on what was said so I don't know. But if a ref allows someone to come in and speak that's his prerogative "I've no complaint about the Sessegnon sending-off. He raised his arm."

O'Neill, who jumped on the team bus instead of enjoying any post-match niceties with Pards, added: "In a perverse way I enjoyed the match."

Pards, who says Cattermole could have been sent off after 40 seconds, rubbished O'Neill's claims before apologising for his antics.

He said: "It's untrue. None of our staff are allowed in the ref's room. No one tried to enter it, no one did.

"Unless you're a boss or player, you don't understand the pressure on this game. There's so much emotion and that's why both games this season have been tight.

"This is a game that gets you, I'm afraid, and if one or two of us, including me, stepped over the line I can only apologise."