Willock and Hall Strike Early as Newcastle End Hull’s Unbeaten Start

Newcastle United responded to a heavy defeat at Leeds by beating Hull City 2-1 at St James’ Park on Saturday 19 September. Joe Willock and Lewis Hall scored inside the opening seven minutes, both from Harvey Barnes assists, and although substitute Mohamed-Ali Cho pulled one back, the hosts held on to end the promoted side’s unbeaten start to the Premier League season.

The win was also a landmark for head coach Matthias Jaissle, giving him his first league victory at St James’ Park. It lifted Newcastle to eight points from their first five matches going into the international break, level with Hull, who had arrived in the north east without a league defeat.

A fast start and a missed chance to kill the game

Newcastle were ahead after three minutes. Barnes found Willock, who finished low with his left foot beyond Hull goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis. Four minutes later Barnes was the provider again, this time for Hall, who placed his shot into the bottom corner. For a team stung by a 4-1 loss at Leeds on the Monday, it was the ideal reaction.

The home side could have been out of sight before half-time. In first-half stoppage time, Sorba Thomas fouled Jacob Murphy in the area and Newcastle were awarded a penalty, but Tzolakis produced an excellent save to deny Yoane Wissa. That moment kept Hull in the contest.

The visitors were much improved after the break. Jaissle reacted by bringing on Fabian Schär for Sean Steur and switching to a back three, with Lewis Miley moving from right-back into midfield. Hull still found a way through on 67 minutes: Miley was caught in possession, Belloumi released Cho, and the substitute fired in a left-footed finish. Tim Iroegbunam then missed a close-range volley on 81 minutes as Hull pushed for an equaliser.

• Result: Newcastle United 2-1 Hull City, Saturday 19 September 2026.
• Newcastle scorers: Joe Willock (3), Lewis Hall (7), both assisted by Harvey Barnes.
• Hull scorer: Mohamed-Ali Cho (67), shortly after coming on.
• Penalty: Yoane Wissa’s first-half stoppage-time spot-kick saved by Konstantinos Tzolakis.
• Newcastle substitutions: Schär for Steur (66), Touré for Fernandez-Pardo (74), Bamba for Willock (87).

What the coaches said

Jaissle was pleased with the way his side answered the Leeds setback. “It was a tough match,” he told Sky Sports. “We wanted to show a reaction after Leeds and we did it at a really high level in the first half – it was probably the best one so far this season. We could have killed the game if we scored a third goal.”

Hull head coach Sergej Jakirovic was honest about the first half but proud of the response. “I’m very proud, especially second half,” he said. “We pressed a lot, we pushed a lot. We had opportunities but couldn’t use them. Newcastle won this game in the first half – we were poor.”

Analysis: Newcastle’s depth tested, Hull’s credentials confirmed

The club’s own report noted that Newcastle were missing eight players through injury, which puts the performance in context. Jaissle had to rely on younger and less experienced options, and the absence of depth showed after the break, when Hull’s pressing began to cause problems. The switch to a back three was a pragmatic decision to protect a lead rather than chase a third goal.

Barnes was the standout attacking player. Two assists in seven minutes reflected his ability to attack space quickly, and Newcastle’s best moments came when they found him early in transition. Hall’s goal was a reminder of the attacking value he brings from full-back, arriving in the box at the right moment rather than staying wide.

The missed penalty will frustrate Newcastle. A 3-0 lead at half-time would have allowed Jaissle to manage minutes for a stretched squad. Instead, the second half became a test of nerve. That they passed it, with an inexperienced group, is encouraging, but the pattern of a strong start followed by a period of retreat is something the coaching staff will want to fix.

There was also a notable contrast in how the two halves were played. In the first, Newcastle attacked quickly and directly, using Barnes’ running to stretch Hull. In the second, they sat deeper and invited pressure. That shift was partly forced by Hull’s improvement, but it also reflected a team protecting its energy with limited options on the bench.

Hull’s promising start

For Hull, defeat should not overshadow an impressive opening to their Premier League return. Eight points from five games is an excellent return for a promoted side, and the second-half display at one of the league’s loudest grounds showed a team that believes in its approach. Jakirovic’s side pressed high, forced errors and created the better chances after the interval.

The key lesson from Hull’s perspective is about starting matches. Conceding twice in seven minutes away from home against a side desperate to react after a heavy loss is exactly the kind of moment promoted teams must learn to manage. Jakirovic acknowledged as much, saying Newcastle won the game in the first half.

• Hull have collected eight points from their first five Premier League matches.
• Their second-half pressing forced Newcastle into a defensive change of system.
• Cho made an immediate impact off the bench.
• Tzolakis’ penalty save kept the contest alive until the final whistle.

What comes next

Both clubs now pause for the international break. According to the Premier League’s published October schedule, Hull return with a home game against Everton on Sunday 11 October, while Newcastle travel to Coventry City for a Monday night fixture on 12 October, kicking off at 20:00 UK time, which is the early hours of Tuesday in Malaysia.

Jaissle will hope that the break allows some of his injured players to return. His side showed in the first half that they can play at a high tempo, and with more options on the bench they may be able to sustain it for longer. For Hull, the priority is to take the positives from a strong second-half display into a home match where they will expect to compete.

The result also reshaped the table at the midway point of the weekend, with Newcastle moving level on points with a Hull side that had been one of the stories of the opening month. It was a reminder that, in the Premier League, early-season momentum can change quickly, and that the ability to recover from a bad result is as important as the result itself.