Kenedy misses last-minute penalty after escaping red card as 10-man Newcastle held by Cardiff City

Cardiff City 0-0 Newcastle United: The Brazilian was lucky to escape a red card in the first-half, only to then see a last-minute penalty saved by Neil Etheridge

Kenedy missed a last-minute penalty (Getty)

Brazilian Kenedy missed a 95th minute penalty for Newcastle but Cardiff will feel justice was done as both clubs earned their first point of the season.

The winger – on loan from Chelsea – hit a dreadful spot kick that was saved by Neil Etheridge just before the final whistle.

It was awarded for a handball by Cardiff skipper Sean Morrison as he tried to block Joselu’s cross, but Kenedy was lucky to still be on the pitch at that stage.

The South American had earlier hacked at the legs of Victor Camarasa with the ball long gone, just before half-time – an incident missed by all three officials but caught on camera.

Newcastle did go eventually go down to 10 men when substitute Isaac Hayden was dismissed for slashing down Cardiff’s danger man Josh Murphy from behind, but Rafa Benitez’s side rarely looked troubled by the disadvantage.

Newcastle rode their luck – and the dismissal of Hayden – to earn a valuable point in a match that already had the odour of a relegation battle.

Murphy was unable to find a way through for Cardiff (Getty)

Both clubs picked up their first points of the season but produced more heat than light, including the red card for Hayden in the 66th minute.

Newly promoted Cardiff created the best chances, but most of them came when Hayden was still on the pitch.

There was no big finale from Neil Warnock’s side against the 10-men and it was Newcastle who finished the stronger.

If Junior Hoilett imagined the Premier League would mean an escape from the boisterous hurly-burly of the Championship, then the Cardiff striker was given a rude awakening in the fourth minute.

Referee Craig Pawson had a busy afternoon (Getty)

A reckless challenge from Newcastle’s Matt Ritchie earned the game’s first yellow card and prompted the thought that Cardiff’s renowned physicality at home last season may not be such a distinguishing feature at the top level after all.

Another bruising presence, Cardiff striker Kenneth Zohore, then gave the hurry up to Martin Dubravka as the Newcastle keeper dawdled before clearing his lines.

But the visitors also exerted pressure in an even and open early period. Kenedy, their on-loan winger from Chelsea, showed his poise in turning Cardiff’s defence before getting a shot away that Neil Etheridge gathered at the second attempt.

Another feature of Cardiff’s promotion campaign last season was their goalscoring threat from set pieces. When they worked a corner on the right in the 15th minute, centre-back Sol Bamba directed a header goalwards before it was blocked by Ayoze Prerez.

Hayden receives his marching orders (Getty)

Though the Magpies looked dangerous on the break through the speed of Kenedy and Perez, it was mostly a tale of Cardiff’s first-half dominance in the midfield.

Harry Arter, their deadline day loan signing from Bournemouth, and another temporary recuit, the Spaniard Victor Camarasa, seized control and found an outlet in Josh Murphy who was eager to run at Newcastle’s defence.

Murphy’s trickery forced Newcastle to take another caution when Javier Manquillo fouled the ex-Norwich winger, but the opening the Cardiff fans craved was not forthcoming.

Kenedy then appeared to kick out at Camarasa after the ball had gone but escaped a clear red card as the incident was missed by both referee Craig Pawson and his assistants.

Rafa Benitez rued the late missed penalty (AFP/Getty)

Newcastle had an opportunity late in the half but Jonjo Shelvey’s free-kick was easily held by Etheridge, before a goalless half ended with more Cardiff pressure.

The Bluebirds continued in similar style at the start of the second period and created a golden opportunity for Zohore in the 53rd minute.

The Danish striker should have found the target after a perceptive cross from Joe Ralls, but the header was looped well wide of the far post.

Shelvey was dropping deep to try and prompt Newcastle’s attacks, but they mostly petered out well before the danger area and it was Cardiff who looked the more likely to score.

When Zohore broke clear on the right just past the hour, it was Shelvey who showed his defensive worth by sliding in to clear as the ball flashed across the goalmouth.

Neil Etheridge saves Kenedy's injury-time penalty (Reuters)

Things became a lot tougher for Newcastle when they were reduced to 10 men in the 66th minute after Isaac Hayden was sent off.

The defender, who had replaced Manquillo at the break, lunged from behind at Murphy, with his studs high, and referee Pawson waved a red card.

Newcastle sent on Jacob Murphy – twin brother of Cardiff’s Josh – for Ritchie and seemed unaffected by their numerical inferiority.

There was even a case for Pawson levelling things up with a red card for Arter’s kick at Joselu, but it was only a yellow.

What they said

Neil Warnock on the penalty: "It would have been devastating to lose at that stage, but quite poetic justice I thought. My dad used to say 'what goes around, comes around' so I think that was poetic justice, the penalty miss.

"I think his arm was very close to being outside the box, his body is inside the box but it was a hairline

"But no complaints if you put your hand up."

On the Kenedy tackle: "I never even saw that Kenedy should have been sent off in the first half, like the referee I looked away and missed it. The fourth official saw it to give a foul but it was one of those things."

On the result: "There's never a dull moment, I thought it was a good 0-0. I'm quite pleased with the whole afternoon apart from not scoring. The last third we could have done better with the ball and create better chances and our free kicks were poor today, so things to work on there.

Neil Warnock was pleased with Cardiff's first point of the season (Reuters)

Rafa Benitez on the penalty: "I am disappointed because you have to try to get three points in every game. It was not my decision. Matt Ritchie is the No 1 taker and Kenedy is the second one. He is a good penalty taker, but that penalty was poor.

On Kenedy's tackle: "There were too many things that I didn’t like during that game. There were too many decisions that can go in your favour or against you. They say there was a tackle on Manquillo. In the end, I think we cannot complain about the referee.

On the referee: He gave us a penalty that he thought was right and we didn’t take our chance. With those other things, we can talk and talk but it will not change anything.

Teams

Cardiff (4-3-3): Etheridge; Bennett, Morrison, Bamba, Manga; Camarasa (Reid 76), Ralls, Arter; Murphy (Mendez-Laing 78), Hoilett, Zohore.

Subs not used: Smithies, Richards, Peterson, Cunningham, Mendez-Laing, Madine.

Newcastle (4-4-1-1): Dubravka; Dummett, Clark, Lascelles, Manquillo (Hayden 45); Ritchie (Murphy 70), Diame, Shelvey, Kenedy; Perez (Muto 65); Joselu.

Subs not used: Darlow, Sung-yueng, Rondon, Fernandez.

Referee: Craig Pawson.