Sunderland 0-1 Newcastle – FA Cup third-round: Live score, team news and updates as Dan Ballard diverts into his own net to give Magpies the lead

What a blow from Ballard, who has been so sturdy defensively. It will be interesting to see how Beale’s young squad keep their heads after that setback.

Hume is outsmarted by Joelinton sprinting down the left again, and he gets away with an improvement on the earlier play as he rounds the box and fires to find Isak – only for Ballard to knock the ball in off his shin!

Ruinous for Sunderland, but deserved from Newcastle.

Gordon on the run does well to spur on the Newcastle attack picking up a clever pass from Burn, but Longstaff fluffs the ensuing cross to send the ball way over the bar.

A freekick from Sunderland comes to naught and the ball falls back to Newcastle after some not necessarily above-board defending from Ballard.

There’s a lot of force forward from Newcastle, but little clinical edge, and after an early Magpies attack, Sunderland are back in possession and looking to sneak up on the right.

Ekwah moves the ball to Alese, who finds a running Clarke. But he’s given it away, and Isak is on the run!

The Swede looks to sneak through on goal, but some last ditch defending from Ballard fells Isak in the box.

It’s very clever defending, and Sunderland avoid a goal – or a penalty.

Ekwah picks up the ball over the halfway line as Sunderland edge forward looking to test the Newcastle defence.

In the end, the ball springs back to him and he flies the ball forward over a distance looking for a Bellingham sprint into the box, but Dubravka is off his line to leap and catch the effort.

Cries for a handball after Guimaraes’ shot is blocked by some strong defending by Ballard, but it gets him in the chest mostly, and Ally McCoist speaks for everyone that it’s ‘never a penalty’.

Jobe sprints into the Newcastle half but he’s tracked closely by Almiron and bullied off the ball.

Longstaff and Alese clatter into one another going for the ball. Everyone will be going home a little bruised from this encounter, one thinks.

Chance for Longstaff, but a heavy defensive presence in the box sees his chance skied over the crossbar.

Isak goes to poach a ball back to Patterson, who boots it down into the Newcastle half.

Clarke is the first player to really sink his teeth into a member of the opposition, as he flies towards Botman studs first to catch him on the top of his boot as he puts the ball away.

Botman stays down in apparent agony for some time, but the refere decides not penalise the youngster with anything more than a freekick conceded.

I wonder if Sunderland have anything to say about their loathed rivals’ ownership group?

A fast-thinking block from Ballard sends the ball out for a corner, which Newcastle take short and can’t send in much further than 25 yards.

Jobe concedes a freekick halfway inside the Sunderland half, which Trippier fancies.

But the ensuing strike is feather-light, and Patterson can gather up the ball at his leisure.

O’Nien sticks an errant leg in front of Isak who tumbles over it for a Newcastle freekick that gives them time to rearrange. Again, they try and forge forward, but they’re seized upon by swarming Sunderland, who immediately force Newcastle back as they take possession on the right.

Cries for a foul go up as Newcastle snatch the ball back level with the box, but their pleas are waved away.

This is feisty stuff early on – long may it last.

Joelinton pulls down an excellent long ball from Burn deep in the Sunderland half but Newcastle can’t hold onto it as Pritchard sneaks the ball over the halfway line.

Clarke springs into action sprinting from the left to the edge of the box for his own high ball, but the long pass is overcooked and it rolls out of play. Beale will hope the player is at his threatening best this afternoon.

A brief pause in play as the referee summons his officials – tech issues, those traumatised by VAR-related stoppages will be relieved about.

No wonder. It’s a miracle anyone can hear themselves think inside the Stadium of Light.

No time wasted from the youngsters either, who come to life on the right as Rusyn tries to round his opposite man.

Sunderland are deep in the Newcastle half now, and the ground is already in full voice roaring them on.

A flinty tackle on the edge of the box is cheered, and the ball rolls out for another well-applauded Newcastle goalkick.

No VAR today…

Newcastle are the first to get away down the right, winning a corner that Trippier fires into the box. Jobe knocks the ball out, but Newcastle catch the rebound to trouble again on the edge of the box.

A high ball loops in for Almiron, and Longstaff almost skitters the ball past Patterson! It’s a bright, frantic start from the visitors, but Sunderland stamp out most of the danger and release the ball down the right.

Commentary is almost unintelligble as the ground roars the mascots of the pitch and the two teams line up against one another.

It’s the home side that get us underway, in their red and white stripes. Newcastle are in their home kit too. Let’s not mix them up.

Dance of the Knights is blaring, Sunderland’s shiny Christmas wrapping-style flags are flying, and the players are gathered in the tunnel.

Less than five minutes until kick-off!

‘It’s special to both sides and special to people in the north east. It’s too different teams; one that has been heavily invested in and a young one that is doing well in the Championship.’

Opportunity for Sunderland players: ‘It’s an opportunity for them and they are there to be taken. What an opportunity for them. Certainly a derby at home, you don’t get a better opportunity than that.’

Sunderland game plan: ‘We play a lot on the floor and we play a lot of combination play, it’s vital we stay true to that. We’ve had some clean sheets and I’ve been pleased with that.’

Importance of match: ‘We’ve got a lot of local players in the squad who know exactly what this means.’

Kieran Trippier’s return: ‘It’s a huge boost because of his vast experience and his quality can make a huge difference to any team.’

On playing to best ability: ‘We have to focus on the principles of our game and get our game going. It will give us the best chance and that’s what we have to do.’

On keeping discipline: ‘We have to focus on that and keep 11 men on the pitch.’

Importance of FA Cup: ‘It’s hugely important, we want the players to play free but it is an extremely important moment in our season.’

Everton’s ‘keeper has been spotted at the home of his boyhood club ahead of kick-off.

You can smell it, It’s in the air when you’re driving up to the game to support this afternoon. the atmosphere supporters in the ground so early. Certainly Sunderland, Sunderland fans already let’s hope the players.

There’s a lot of stake (as a manager) obviously I did not know much before I came up here but when you’re up there you soon realise what it means to supporters.

I was involved for Celtic against Rangers, United against City and it’s up there with them for the local supporters.

There’s a fear factor in case you lose but if you can get a victory today for the Sunderland perspective, obviously against Newcastle, you can change the momentum of your season.

How instrumental with one of Sunderland’s youngest recruits be today?

Going by the mononymous Jobe rather than weighing himself down with his surname, the Magpies may have tried and failure to lure the teenager to St James’ Park.

Read more from Craig Hope below.

A huge roar welcome the Sunderland players onto the pitch.

Just over half-an-hour to go until kick-off.

Sunderland have a squad chockful of emerging talent, and regularly field the youngest starting XI in the Championship.

A relative elder at 23, Clarke has been in rip-roaring form on the left wing and will represent a standout threat for Howe’s side.

The list of players who have represented both Sunderland and Newcastle is vast but arguably none have caused more controversy than Lee Clark. The man who went from local fan favourite at Newcastle to the villain at Sunderland.

Clark came through the ranks at his boyhood club, making over 200 appearances for Newcastle before making the move to Sunderland in 1997.

After two successful years bridging the Tyne-Wear divide and taking Sunderland back to the Premier League, it all came crashing down when the midfielder was pictured in London wearing a ‘Sad Mackem B*****d’ t-shirt with Newcastle fans before their 1999 FA Cup final at Wembley.

READ MORE BELOW.

Led by the unflappable Amanda Staveley, they get exactly the sort of welcome they would have expected.

Mike Ashley was barred from wearing a Magpies jersey when he visited the Stadium of Light, and the club director toes the line in a pointed black dress with white piping.

Today’s captain was an injury doubt, but Howe backs his man to start and move on from a tricky December.

He remains the arguably talismanic purchase of the PIF era, but can he help the side pull off a win in testing conditions today?

Here, Sofascore runs the rules over his season so far.

It was the night the heavens opened and hell descended on Newcastle. Forget Tyne-Wear hostilities, it was the civil war between Ruud Gullit and Alan Shearer that blew a hole in the derby of 1999.

The Dutch boss named England’s captain on the bench and started instead with rookie Paul Robinson, a Sunderland fan, in attack. Duncan Ferguson was also kept in reserve, while Tommy Wright was in goal. Many fans arrived at St James’ Park not realising Wright had re-signed on an emergency loan.

When the line-ups were revealed in the press room, one journalist famously remarked: ‘That’s not a team sheet, it’s a suicide note.’

READ MORE BELOW.

Longstaff the elder was finishing his last season in Newcastle’s youth side the last time this time was played.

It is an image of extraordinary and atmospheric beauty. A study in monochrome which distils the essence of this weekend — FA Cup third-round weekend — and captures with its snow, its steam, its masses muffled up against the cold in an unfamiliar and evocative place, the most precious moment of our football year.

Bradford City v Brentford, played out in January 1955, against the backdrop of the Valley Road Power Station, the terraced back-to-backs of Manningham Lane and advertising hoardings promoting ointment, beer and crisps, has not lived on in third-round legend.

But behind the image of the Lowryesque match-stick men, fighting it out on a snow-bound surface with line markings dug out of the white, is the story of the titanic struggles of two clubs cast into the limelight and desperate to stay there for just a few weeks longer..

READ MORE BELOW.

Rather than stare stone-facedly towards the player entrance, Airpod Max headphones firmly clamped over each ear, Dan Burn made the most of things with a deliciously villainous gesture.

Scroll down for Craig Hope’s video from the scene for the full immersive experience.

Eddie Howe says he does not seek daily reassurance from Newcastle’s owners over his job security – but admits a Wear-Tyne derby win would be the ‘spark’ his team needs.

The Magpies have lost seven of their last eight games and, while the head coach retains the support of fans and the club’s hierarchy, another defeat at the Stadium of Light could change the mood on Tyneside.

Bur rather than meet the FA Cup third-round tie with trepidation, Howe sees it as an opportunity.

READ MORE BELOW.

I’d put the language warning at a tentative 12A.

History debates when exactly the divide between Sunderland and Newcastle began to fester, but its roots are fiercely economic, based in Newcastle’s monopoly on the coal trade, granted by royal permission.

The neighbour’s boom was Sunderland’s bust, and when the English Civil War started, the two cities took up arms against one another as Cavaliers and Roundheads…

Relations are no less strained 372 years later…

As harrowing as it might feel to some readers (and writers), 2016 was nearly eight years ago, and there have been wholesale changes at both Sunderland and Newcastle.

But the Black Cats will no doubt be keen to remind their loathed opposition that they’ve gone without a win in their most recent nine match-ups.

The solitary bright spot for the Magpies came with Newcastle ending their losing streak thanks to an equaliser courtesy of self-proclaimed ‘Geordie boy’ Aleksandar Mitrovic – who was forced to play over-under with jubliant fan who ran to celebrate with the Serbian on the pitch… only to slip on the overwatered turf.

Travelling fans have been banned from taking public transport to the tie by Northumbria Police in a bid to avoid clashes on the Metro, so it was a bright and early start across the Tyne for the visitors.

North-east rivals Sunderland and Newcastle United meet in a crunch FA Cup third round clash this Saturday lunchtime – and we can be assured no quarter will be given.

Down the years, both clubs have enjoyed magical moments in the world’s oldest and greatest knockout competition.

Newcastle have six cup wins to their credit but they haven’t lifted the famous trophy since way back in 1955…

READ MORE BELOW.

Beyonce last played at the Stadium of Light before her sold-out May 2023 date in…. 2016.

Sunderland fas were forced to do a double-take when images began circulating of Newcastle’s decorations in the away fans’ hospitality bar on Thursday afternoon but their eyes didn’t deceive them – things were black and white on Wearside.

Cue mass uproar from one set of supporters, widespread gloating from another, and a sheepish apology from Sunderland’s hierarchy.

Catch up on Mail Sport’s reporting on one particularly unwanted makeover below.

Hello and welcome to Mail Sport’s live coverage of the FA Cup derby clash between Sunderland and Newcastle, kicking off this afternoon at the Stadium of Light at 12.45pm.

This one should be one for the books. The Tyne-Wear – or more specifically, Wear-Tyne – derby hasn’t been played for eight years, and this is the first iteration of the clash under both of the clubs’ new owners.

Fans are primed, Northumbria Police are primed, and we’re primed for an enormous Third Round fixture, so make sure to stick around as we give you all the build-up, team news, and more ahead this afternoon’s action.