Revealed: Newcastle players and Jason Tindall were involved in a 20-MAN melee at half-time of their 3-0 win against Aston Villa – which saw Eddie Howe’s assistant sent off

Eddie Howe defended his Newcastle players after they were involved in what he confirmed was a 20-man melee during half-time of their 3-0 win over Aston Villa.

Newcastle assistant boss Jason Tindall and Villa analyst Victor Manas were sent off by referee Anthony Taylor after tempers flared in the tunnel at St James’ Park.

Tindall was earlier involved in a heated exchange with visiting manager Unai Emery during a feisty first-half that included a straight red card for Villa striker Jhon Duran.

But the Football Association are sure to look at the half-time incident in the tunnel, in which Howe admitted more could have been dismissed.

The Newcastle boss was asked if it was fair to describe the fracas as a ’20-man melee’, and he said: ‘I don’t think that’s far off. These things always start without the intention of it happening in the way that it did.

‘There were probably 17 or 18 people trying to calm it down, so what it then looks like is that more people are involved. No one wants to see that. It’s not at all how I want my players or staff to be, but sometimes you have to stand up for what you think is right and protect each other. We’re all standing up for ourselves in that moment, protecting ourselves.

The Villa boss had snubbed Eddie Howe’s assistant at a previous meeting and was becoming increasingly incensed on the sidelines

Aston Villa’s Jhon Duran picked up a red card in the first-half after a challenge on Fabian Schar

‘I’m not 100 per cent sure what sparked it all because it goes over in a blur. I was right at the top of it. I think frustration is spilling out (from the Villa camp) from what happened in the first-half.

‘I saw plenty, but I don’t know the actual details of why (Tindall) was sent off. That would need some clarification for me because I think if you’re going to send one off, you could probably send 10 to 15 people off. So, I’m not quite sure of what he’s been charged with (doing).’

Meanwhile, Emery was furious with the officials over the 31st-minute dismissal of Duran for violent conduct after his studs landed on the back of Fabian Schar during a tangle.

‘VAR is supposed to watch clearly each action,’ he said. ‘I agree with VAR but today, fair or unfair, the VAR should be there to make the best choice. It is not a clear red card, that is a very big punishment for the player.

‘It was not intentional to do it [the stamp]. I could accept it if VAR said it deserved to be punished with a red card, but it was the referee, the person who has the time to make the decision, the correct decision, who decided it. Maybe he was thinking it was a red card, but he should have asked VAR to confirm it please.

‘Maybe it is because it is Jhon Duran. We have to try and work with him to try and teach him to behave in a good way and he is doing this. The referee has to be fair with the decision and take his time. I think Jhon has a reputation. It is clear, it is because of his reputation [that he was sent off]. It wasn’t his intention to kick him.’