Shane Long heads a late equaliser as Southampton draw 2-2 at Newcastle

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Graziano Pelle had put the visitors in front in the first half, but goals either side of the break from Papiss Cisse and Georginio Wijnaldum gave the Magpies the lead.

Yet Long sprang off the bench to drag Saints level, before they nearly won it at the end through Sadio Mane.

Ronald Koeman was absent as he recuperates from surgery to repair a ruptured Achilles, and, in his absence, Saints named an attacking line-up, with Jay Rodriguez starting his first Premier League match in 491 days, while Tadic, Mane and Pelle were also in the side.

Despite that, the visitors were on the back foot early on, as Newcastle put them under pressure right from the off.

Maarten Stekelenburg had to make a good third-minute save, diving to his right after Wijnaldum’s in-swinging delivery flicked off the head of Steven Davis.

It was Davis who then saved Saints shortly afterwards, making a stunning block to keep out Wijnaldum, who had been picked out in space on the penalty spot by a square pass from Moussa Sissoko, after he had burst away down the right.

Wijnaldum should perhaps have done better, but it was a brilliant piece of defending from Davis to divert his curling right-footed shot to safety.

The former PSV man was causing havoc in the early minutes, though, with Cedric Soares being booked in the 11th minute for pulling him down on the left-wing.

The Portuguese right-back had a rather better moment at the opposite end in the 15th minute, as he muscled past Gabriel Obertan and Fabricio Coloccini at the near post, only to be denied by a fantastic close-range stop from Tim Krul, as he sent in a right-footed shot.

After Stekelenburg held Cisse’s shot from the edge of the area, Krul had to tip a long-range effort from Tadic wide.

Newcastle then had a big penalty shout in the 21st minute. Mane made a terrible error of judgement, blindly back-heeling the ball by his own corner flag, sending it straight to Cisse. He crossed to the back post for Coloccini, who chested it down, flicked it past Matt Targett and then knocked the ball against Maya Yoshida’s elbow from close range.

Fortunately for Saints, the lack of distance between the two seemed to be enough to persuade referee Craig Pawson not to give it.

They took advantage of the reprieve three minutes later, as they claimed the lead through Pelle, who continued his fantastic start to the season.

The striker, who scored in each leg of the Europa League win over Vitesse, produced a prodigious leap at the back post to meet Cedric’s cross, sending a thumping downward header past Krul.

The goal did little to change the flow of the game, though, as Newcastle continued to pressurise the visitors.

They had a second big shout for a penalty, as a corner towards the near post flicked off Cisse and appeared to strike Rodriguez’s outstretched arm. Again, though, Pawson denied the appeal.

Rodriguez nearly played a big part at the other end in the 35th minute, but put his header from ten yards out wide of the post, after Tadic’s cross had found him.

It was a breathless first half, and Saints were again indebted to Davis for saving them, as he cleared a Coloccini shot off the line, after the ball broke to the centre-half from a corner in the 38th minute.

But Saints’ luck ran out three minutes from the interval, as Newcastle finally got the goal their pressure deserved.

A short corner worked the ball to Massadio Haidara, whose cross deflected off Mane, looped over Stekelenburg and was chested in on the line by Cisse.

Unsurprisingly, Saints made a change at the break, with Cedric, who had been walking a tightrope after his early booking, was withdrawn for Cuco Martina.

Saints should have retaken the lead two minutes after the restart, as Davis swung in a free-kick that found the head of Maya Yoshida six yards out. However, the defender’s downward effort was somehow flicked over the bar by Krul’s outstretched foot.

As fine a save as it was, Yoshida should really have given him no chance to make it.

It proved a costly miss, as Newcastle immediately went up the other end and grabbed the lead.

Obertan sent in a glorious cross from the right, which Wijnaldum met with his head, planting it perfectly in the far corner to send St James’ Park wild.

After Jack Colback was booked for tripping Mane, and Jose Fonte was cautioned for a foul on Sissoko, Saints made another change, as Long replaced Rodriguez.

Newcastle’s first substitution came in the 67th minute, as Cheick Tiote replaced Vurnon Anita, who was carried off on a stretcher after landing heavily following an aerial challenge with Mane.

Pelle had a half-chance in the 72nd minute, as he was picked out in the Newcastle area with his back to goal, but his shot on the turn found the side netting at the near post.

Newcastle then sent on £13m summer signing Aleksandar Mitrovic for his debut, replacing Cisse, but he was fortunate not to be dismissed seconds into his debut for a nasty tackle on Targett which could have warranted more than the yellow card it got.

It looked as if nothing was going for Saints in the second half, but then out of nowhere the visitors levelled the game.

Tadic sent in a cross from the right towards the back post, and substitute Long – who is so good in the air – beat Darryl Janmaat and headed into the near top corner.

Saints were suddenly emboldened and they twice nearly picked off Newcastle in added time.

First, Mane got down the left, cut into the area, shifted past a few defenders into a central position and sent in a low right-footed shot that was heading for the bottom corner, only for Colback to make a superb sliding block.

With about 90 seconds left of added time, Mane nearly scored again, bursting forward from halfway and cutting onto his left foot 18 yards out, only to bend his shot just wide, as Saints had to settle for a point.

SAINTS: Stekelenburg, Cedric (Martina 45), Fonte, Yoshida, Targett, Wanyama, S Davis, Tadic, Mane, Rodriguez (Long 65), Pelle.

Unused subs: Gazzaniga, Caulker, Reed, Ward-Prowse, Juanmi.

NEWCASTLE: Krul, Janmaat, Mbemba, Coloccini, Haidara, Anita (Tiote 67), Colback, Sissoko, Wijnaldum (De Jong 81), Obertan, Cisse (Mitrovic 75).

Unused subs: Daarlow, Aarons, Perez, Taylor.

Referee: Craig Pawson.