Crystal Palace 1, Newcastle United 1

Alan Pardew's first match against Newcastle United promised fireworks. Instead, we got what was possibly the worst two hours of football this season.

Papiss Cissé scored first for Newcastle in what could have been an amazing bit of irony, since Cissé's insane 2012 was instrumental in Newcastle's fifth place finish that year and therefore Alan Pardew's Manager of the Year award. Alas, there was to be no grand narrative for this game. Palace leveled the score through Fraizer Campbell, and the rest of the match was basically what happens when neither manager wants to beat the other.

It was an entirely forgettable match, and much of that was due to the tactic. Newcastle booted the ball down the pitch as soon as they were able to touch it, and the substitutions were particularly uninspired. Only a sublime Daryl Janmaat cross and clinical Cissé header saved what was undoubtedly the ugliest Newcastle match in recent memory.

I'm already ready to forget this one, just as I'd prefer to never talk about Alan Pardew ever again. Now that the showdown has happened and neither team came out on top, perhaps it's time to let the narrative die. Pardew is gone. Let's move on.