Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has defended his decision not to shake Jason Tindall's hand as tempers threatened to boil over in Newcastle United's 2-0 win over the Blues on Sunday. On a tense afternoon - one that saw referee John Brooks dished out one red card and six yellows - Newcastle's No 2 also found himself in the middle of some drama late in the game.
With the Magpies leading 1-0, Tindall and Chelsea left-back Marc Cucurella shared some choice words with one another as the Spaniard went to retrieve the ball from near the tunnel. Maresca was also involved, after already picking up a yellow card for a separate incident in the first-half, and decided against shaking the hand of Newcastle's assistant after the St James' Park showdown.
Quizzed over the Cucurella flashpoint, the Chelsea chief sidestepped the question by responding: “I don’t know, this is a question for Marc.” Pressed further on the decision not to entertain a post-match encounter with Tindall, the Italian added: "I shook Eddie Howe’s hand. I think this is enough.”
[Maresca was also left furious with Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson](https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/enzo-marescas-furious-nicolas-jackson-31617926) as the Senegalese star needlessly earned himself a red card towards the closing stages of the first-half. As Jackson made his way to the tunnel, there was no comfort offered by Maresca, who instead chose not to look at the forward.
The decision gave Newcastle a man advantage but the home side failed to take control of the tie [as they nervously battled through a tense second period](https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/bruno-guimaraes-honest-newcastle-united-31617827). Bruno Guimaraes, Jacob Murphy, Fabian Schar and substitute Emil Krafth were all booked after the interval as Newcastle battled to a gritty three points.
"It was one of those games where it was always going to because of what was at stake, the scoreline, the psychology of both teams and the fact they had nothing to lose in the second half," Howe said at full-time. The Newcastle boss also admitted he felt the call to send Jackson off was the correct one.