Hand of Cod! I just saw Alex Bass score from behind enemy lines at St James Park

Well... what can you say about that?! I saw a Sunderland goalkeeper score at St James Park - that has to be right up there as one of the most bizarre yet brilliant things I’ve seen!

Yes, you read that right - Alex Bass, our second choice who was signed in the summer from Portsmouth, rose like a salmon to get on the end of a Jewison Bennette corner in injury time, smacking it off the post before falling into the follow up and bundling it into the net.

I didn’t realise at first he had scored, but a few around me in the Newcastle end said the keeper definitely scored - and I had to hold my laughter in as I watched the Sunderland fans in the other stand going crackers as they celebrated the equaliser.

After the game, Bass admitted to the press that he handballed it and that he didn’t think that the goal would be given, which makes it even funnier.

The game itself wasn’t great and despite the presence of several first team fringe players, we lacked cohesion, and it showed.

In the first half Sunderland looked dreadful, and they couldn’t string two passes together. Abdoullah Ba, the man signed as the pet project of Kyril Louis-Dreyfus in the summer from Le Havre, looked by far our best player.

Newcastle had a few chances and punished Sunderland with the same set piece routine used by Kieran Trippier at the weekend in the mags’ first team - it seems our youngsters have the same issues from set plays that the seniors have.

That said, we grew into the game and Sunderland controlled the second half without creating anything clear-cut.

In the final 10 minutes the Lads were camped in Newcastle’s half, and Ben Crompton - who arrived in the summer from Shrewsbury Town - hit the post from a corner.

Photo by Ian Horrocks/Sunderland AFC via Getty Images

The red card picked up by Jay Turner-Cooke - who left Wearside to join the Tynesiders a few years ago - further backed Newcastle into their own half.

We got another couple of corners after that which Bass connected with on both occasions.

The first one got blocked, but on the next corner Bass used his aerial dominance and connected again with a header.

It crashed off the post but fell straight back to him, and his momentum made him fall into the ball as it hit the back of the net - and off his arm, apparently.

I thought that most of our first team fringe players that started were poor except for Ba. Huggins, understandably given the fact he’s on the comeback trail, looks well off the level he played at when we signed him but will be happy he got some much-needed minutes in his legs ahead of the winter break. Jay Matete, who is usually cool and collected, was very poor in possession.

Most of the mags walked out like the fire alarm had gone off.

Niall Huggins went and celebrated in front of them all, kissing the badge, so they give him a load of abuse - but I’m sure he wasn’t particularly bothered!

That was a fun way to spend my evening. Haway the Lads!