Magpies not out of the woods but Cisse double gives Pardew spring in his step

For starters he still needs a Premier League win. To that end, trips to Stoke (next Monday) and Swansea (the following Saturday) could be decisive.

Despite the sackpardew.com paper aeroplanes grounded on the side of the St James' Park turf after Saturday's match, this brave fightback suggested Pardew still has the backing of his players.

Newcastle won 4-1 at the KC Stadium last season, that fateful day when Pardew head-butted David Meyler and sent the club into a downward spiral.

On Saturday, there was a show of desire - led by Cheick Tioté - and there was the emergence of a goalscorer in Papiss Cissé, whose two late goals (in the 73rd and 87th minute) salvaged the draw.

It was a justified point as Newcastle showed plenty of spirit to rally in the final 20 minutes after Hull had looked in a commanding position.

And it was Cissé's goals that ensured Pardew walked pitchside at quarter to seven on Saturday night with a renewed spring in his step.

"I didn't think I'd be playing," said Cissé, who has just returned from injury. "I started training on Tuesday.

"Then, on Friday, the gaffer said 'I think I'll put you on the bench. You look right and good'. Then I scored two goals."

Though the ticking time bomb around Pardew was defused for now, there remains great unrest around a club which becomes ever more volatile.

At times it appears that any conversation the owner Mike Ashley has with random punters take on the status of unofficial club statements.

Ashley is said to have told a punter that Pardew would be safe. Then again he told Alan Shearer he would be in touch after hearing about his plans to get the club back in the Premier League.

That was in 2009. Shearer is still waiting.

On Wednesday, Pardew has the opportunity to reach the fourth round of the League Cup at Crystal Palace.

Don't sniff at that. During Ashley's seven-and-a-half year ownership, it is as far as Newcastle have gone in any domestic competition.

It also raises more potential controversy from which Newcastle rarely stray.

The club's stated philosophy now is that they do not see either the League Cup or FA Cup as important.

Palace may play a second string under Neil Warnock and Pardew is likely to rest half of his first team.

But losing to a bunch of reserves will still not be well received in the black-and-white areas of the North-east that crave a cup run to mirror what Sunderland did last season - even if there is no desire for one in the boardroom.

Whatever Pardew is or isn't, he fronted it out on Saturday.

He stood in the technical area, as he had promised his players and, even at 2-0 down, he did not hide or flinch.

At some point in the future that may mean something.

Newcastle were losing to two cracking second-half goals from Nikica Jelavic and Mohamed Diamé when Cissé came on to jeers.

That was in the 69th minute. By the 87th Cissé had struck twice. He also raised his shirt to reveal a T-shirt paying tribute to team-mate Jonas Gutierrez, who has revealed he is fighting cancer.

That the team now has a centre-forward suggests there may be a more sustainable change in form and foundation, but do not rush there. Newcastle are not out of the woods by any stretch of the imagination. © Independent News Service, London.