Newcastle United 0 - 1 Hull City

Hull reserves vanquish Newcastle

Updated: January 14, 2009, 9:58 PM UK

Michael Owen passed up three gilt-edged chances as Newcastle were dumped out of the FA Cup 1-0 by Hull's fringe players.

• Kinnear ready to strengthen

The England international fired over the top before the break and then saw another shot turned around the post by Tigers goalkeeper Matthew Duke before missing the target with a header at the death.

In the meantime, Tigers striker Daniel Cousin had needed no second invitation to seal a third-round replay victory when he converted Richard Garcia's cross from close range to book a home tie with Millwall in the fourth round.

The fact that victory was achieved without eight of Phil Brown's first-choice players simply rubbed salt into Magpie wounds on a night when both he and counterpart Joe Kinnear were sent to the stands by referee Phil Dowd.

Newcastle fielded a strong side despite their injury problems - Geremi was not included in the 18 as he closed in on a £1.5million move to Besiktas - and while the FA Cup may be the least of their worries this season, a second home defeat by Hull was the last thing they wanted on a bleak night in front of a crowd of 31,380.

That meant a rare chance for Spanish misfit Xisco, whose £5.8million arrival from Deportivo La Coruna in August was in part responsible for Kevin Keegan's departure as manager.

Brown had made no secret of his decision to make the league his priority for the season, and made eight changes, effectively fielding his reserves.

By the time the first half reached its mid-point, there were two more notable absentees, both managers having been sent to the stands by Mr Dowd following an angry exchange of views in the wake of Fabricio Coloccini's late challenge on Cousin.

There was incident on the field as well, however, if not a great deal of it, and it was perhaps understandably the Magpies who enjoyed the better of the half.

After a lively start, they went agonisingly close to a 21st-minute opener when Nicky Butt headed Danny Guthrie's free-kick against the crossbar with Duke beaten.

That proved to be a rare good quality delivery from Guthrie, who served up a series of later free-kicks invitingly for Duke, and although Charles N'Zogbia, who has spent much of the last fortnight angling for a move away from St James', Jonas Gutierrez and Damien Duff caused problems for City, they could not break the visitors down.

However, the Magpies were handed a glorious opportunity 11 minutes before the break, and it could hardly have fallen to a better man.

Paul McShane and Kamil Zayatte got themselves into a knot as they converged on a loose ball along with Owen and only succeeded in running into each other, leaving the striker in on goal.

But the £17million man blasted his effort high over the crossbar to hand them a reprieve.

Owen saw another excellent go begging within two minutes of the restart, although this time he made Duke work to preserve his clean sheet.

The 29-year-old managed to beat the offside trap to run on to Duff's clever pass over the top, but the goalkeeper managed to turn his effort just around the post.

Full-back Sam Ricketts had to make a vital interception to prevent Jonas' cross from reaching Owen or Xisco after the Argentinian had broken at pace down the left with 53 minutes gone, although Shay Given had to pluck Craig Fagan's 30-yard drive out of the air on the hour.

Hull skipper George Boateng's evening came to an end with 67 minutes gone when he was carried from the field after a crunching block tackle by Butt deep inside the home penalty area, Ian Ashbee taking his place.

N'Zogbia almost left his mark on the game with 20 minutes remaining when he embarked upon a mazy run to the edge of the Hull box, but his shot was well blocked by Zayatte.

But when the opening goal finally arrived with 80 minutes gone, it was at the other end when Cousin turned Garcia's cross home.

Substitute Kazenga LuaLua drove the ball across the face of goal, but just too far in front of fellow newcomer Andy Carroll three minutes later, but it was Owen who might have taken the tie into extra-time at the death, only to head another Guthrie cross over.

The final whistle brought a predictable chorus of boos from the stands as a traumatic season on Tyneside took a further turn for the worse.

Kinnear ready to strengthen

Newcastle boss Joe Kinnear confirmed the club has tabled two £4million bids for players after yet another eventful night on Tyneside.

The 62-year-old, who was sent to the stands along with Hull counterpart Phil Brown after a touchline spat as his side slipped out of the FA Cup, later revealed owner Mike Ashley had sanctioned two significant offers as the Magpies attempt to bolster their threadbare squad.

Kinnear's targets are understood to be Rennes 22-year-old Cameroon international Stephane Mbia and Toulouse full-back Albin Ebondo, 24.

He said: ''We have made two serious efforts for decent money on players - when I say decent money, two £4million offers for players. They are considering it now. We made the bids today.

''What I said to Mike was, I had identified the two players we want, I told him the price of the two players and he agreed to get them - providing they [the clubs] accept the offers.

''I am very optimistic about it. I said one of them is very crucial to us at the moment. He plays for Cameroon, he is a decent player. He is 6ft 2in, he has pace, he is powerful. I just thought he would add something else to us.

''I explained who it was to him [Ashley], so we got on the case. We have spoken to the club he plays for and so it is really just fingers crossed that they accept it.''

Brown left assistant Brian Horton to speak to the written press, but confirmed in a radio interview that he has table an undisclosed bid for Sunderland skipper Dean Whitehead, and revealed that loan signing Paul McShane has been recalled by the Black Cats.

Brown said: ''We have made an inquiry for Dean Whitehead. It is something we have been identifying in the past 18 months, players who can come in and strengthen the side.

''We have identified probably four or five players and Dean is one of them. As I have said, we have made enquiries and they will be ongoing during the month of January.''

Whitehead or an alternative may well be needed at the KC Stadium sooner rather than later after George Boateng suffered suspected knee ligament damage at St James' Park on a night when Hull reached the fourth round of the FA Cup for the first time in 20 years.

As for the game's biggest talking point - the clash between the two managers - Kinnear denied a clash of heads had occured:''He [Brown] came across. He was having a rant, more than anything.

''He didn't actually say anything to me, he was having a rant at [number two] Chris [Hughton] - and he wasn't saying too many pleasant things to him. It was as simple as that.

''I just said 'Enough'. That's all I said. I don't know what the trouble was with the ref.

''I just said 'Cool it and call it a day'. I sent Chris to sit down and as he [Brown] came across and the referee came running over.

''I don't know whether my reputation precedes me, but if you look at the video, what I did do was stand my ground, I didn't do anything else.''