OUR LAST VISIT TO ST ANDREWS ...
2007/8 BIRMINGHAM 1 NEWCASTLE UTD 1
BIRMINGHAM: Maik Taylor, Kelly, Jaidi, Ridgewell, Murphy, Larsson (Parnaby 46), Muamba, Johnson, McSheffrey, Forssell (Jerome 71), McFadden (Zarate 86).
Subs Not Used: Doyle, Nafti.
NEWCASTLE: Harper, Beye, Faye, Taylor, Jose Enrique, Barton, Geremi, Butt, Martins (N'Zogbia 80), Owen, Viduka.
Subs Not Used: Forster, Cacapa, Smith, Carroll.
Att: 25,777
Michael Owen eased some of the pressure on Newcastle boss Kevin Keegan by rescuing a precious 1-1 draw in a nervy Barclays Premier League relegation battle with Birmingham at St Andrews.
England coach Fabio Capello watched Owen show his predatory instincts in front of goal as he levelled matters 10 minutes into the second half with his seventh goal of the campaign.
James McFadden had given Birmingham a deserved half-time lead but it was a different story after the break when the Magpies looked the more menacing.
Owen's strike earned Newcastle only their third point from the eight Premier League matches since Keegan returned to Tyneside and it was enough to keep them above Alex McLeish's side in the battle to stay in the top flight.
Newcastle were disjointed and barely posed a threat in the opening 45 minutes despite Keegan playing Owen, Mark Viduka and Obafemi Martins together for the first time.
Birmingham were well worth their interval lead with McFadden a constant menace after being restored to the starting line-up and Fabrice Muamba impressing in the centre of midfield.
But the visitors were transformed after Keegan's half-time pep talk and they dominated proceedings and caused the home defence all kinds of problems.
It needed home goalkeeper Maik Taylor to make some crucial saves to deny Newcastle their first league win since mid-December.
McFadden quickly made his presence felt for the home side. The former Everton player unleashed a 20-yard drive which took a slight deflection off Habib Beye and flashed only a couple of feet wide of Steve Harper's goal.
Muamba had scored his first Blues goal against Portsmouth in midweek but he showed a complete lack of composure when lofting his first time shot over the bar from 15 yards out after good play by Mikael Forssell and McFadden.
The Magpies were unconvincing in defending a Gary McSheffrey corner and the ball bobbled about in the box before Forssell poked a low shot just wide.
Another McSheffrey corner was met by Blues central defender Radhi Jaidi but he failed to make a proper contact with his header which flew wide.
Newcastle midfielder Geremi became the first player to be yellow-carded after 20 minutes for a challenge on Sebastian Larsson.
It was 24 minutes before Newcastle had a worthwhile effort on goal with Owen just too high from 20 yards out after being found in space by Martins.
But after 32 minutes McFadden broke the deadlock with his ninth goal of the campaign - and his fourth for Blues since his £6million move from Goodison Park.
There appeared little danger when left-back David Murphy lofted the ball into the Newcastle box but McFadden was able to turn Abdoulaye Faye before clipping the ball wide of Steve Harper into the corner of the net.
Larsson was on the receiving end of another poor challenge, this time by Butt, but the midfielder was only given a stern talking to by referee Howard Webb.
McFadden appealed for a penalty after being challenged by Faye but referee Howard Webb was well positioned and waved play on.
McLeish was forced to make a half-time substitution with the limping Larsson replaced by Stuart Parnaby.
Birmingham began where they left off and Harper denied Forssell from close range after good play by McFadden.
After 50 minutes Owen - unmarked 10 yards out - tried to curl the ball past Taylor but the Birmingham goalkeeper made an excellent reflex save to deny him at the expense of a corner.
However, Owen was not to be denied and after 56 minutes he grabbed an equaliser with his seventh goal of the campaign.
Taylor again did well to parry away a low drive from Martins but Owen was the first to react to the rebound and clipped it into the corner of the net.
Newcastle defender Steven Taylor was booked for bringing down McFadden before Maik Taylor pushed aside a stinging drive from Jose Enrique.
The visitors finished the stronger and Maik Taylor had to be alert to keep out a shot on the turn from Martins, with Birmingham's only offering in the closing stages a long-range drive from substitute Mauro Zarate.
BRUM v TOON - THE HISTORY...
2007/2008 Mon 17 Mar Birmingham C. 1 - 1 Newcastle Utd. Premier League
Sat 08 Dec Newcastle Utd. 2 - 1 Birmingham C. Premier League
2006/2007 Wed 17 Jan Newcastle Utd. 1 - 5 Birmingham C. F.A. Cup
Sat 06 Jan Birmingham C. 2 - 2 Newcastle Utd. F.A. Cup
2005/2006 Sat 29 Apr Birmingham C. 0 - 0 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
Sat 05 Nov Newcastle Utd. 1 - 0 Birmingham C. Premiership
2004/2005 Sat 01 Jan Newcastle Utd. 2 - 1 Birmingham C. Premiership
Sun 03 Oct Birmingham C. 2 - 2 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
2003/2004 Sat 31 Jan Birmingham C. 1 - 1 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
Sat 30 Aug Newcastle Utd. 0 - 1 Birmingham C. Premiership
2002/2003 Sat 03 May Newcastle Utd. 1 - 0 Birmingham C. Premiership
Sat 28 Sep Birmingham C. 0 - 2 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
2000/2001 Wed 29 Nov Birmingham C. 2 - 1 Newcastle Utd. League Cup
1999/2000 Tue 12 Oct Birmingham C. 2 - 0 Newcastle Utd. League Cup
1992/1993 Sun 28 Mar Newcastle Utd. 2 - 2 Birmingham C. League Division One
Wed 04 Nov Birmingham C. 2 - 3 Newcastle Utd. League Division One
1985/1986 Sat 12 Apr Newcastle Utd. 4 - 1 Birmingham C. First Division
Sat 09 Nov Birmingham C. 0 - 1 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1979/1980 Wed 20 Feb Newcastle Utd. 0 - 0 Birmingham C. Second Division
Sat 29 Sep Birmingham C. 0 - 0 Newcastle Utd. Second Division
1977/1978 Wed 15 Mar Newcastle Utd. 1 - 1 Birmingham C. First Division
Sat 17 Sep Birmingham C. 3 - 0 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1976/1977 Sat 02 Apr Birmingham C. 1 - 2 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Sat 23 Oct Newcastle Utd. 3 - 2 Birmingham C. First Division
1975/1976 Wed 07 Apr Newcastle Utd. 4 - 0 Birmingham C. First Division
Tue 23 Sep Birmingham C. 3 - 2 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1974/1975 Sat 26 Apr Newcastle Utd. 1 - 2 Birmingham C. First Division
Sat 19 Oct Birmingham C. 3 - 0 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1973/1974 Sat 20 Apr Newcastle Utd. 1 - 1 Birmingham C. First Division
Sat 08 Dec Birmingham C. 1 - 0 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Wed 07 Nov Newcastle Utd. 0 - 1 Birmingham C. League Cup
Tue 30 Oct Birmingham C. 2 - 2 Newcastle Utd. League Cup
1972/1973 Sat 11 Nov Newcastle Utd. 3 - 0 Birmingham C. First Division
Tue 15 Aug Birmingham C. 3 - 2 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1960/1961 Mon 26 Dec Birmingham C. 2 - 1 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Sat 24 Dec Newcastle Utd. 2 - 2 Birmingham C. First Division
1959/1960 Wed 02 Sep Newcastle Utd. 1 - 0 Birmingham C. First Division
Wed 26 Aug Birmingham C. 4 - 3 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1958/1959 Wed 29 Apr Newcastle Utd. 1 - 1 Birmingham C. First Division
Sat 15 Nov Birmingham C. 1 - 0 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1957/1958 Sat 11 Jan Newcastle Utd. 1 - 2 Birmingham C. First Division
Sat 07 Sep Birmingham C. 1 - 4 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1956/1957 Tue 01 Jan Newcastle Utd. 3 - 2 Birmingham C. First Division
Wed 05 Sep Birmingham C. 6 - 1 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1955/1956 Wed 31 Aug Birmingham C. 3 - 1 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Wed 24 Aug Newcastle Utd. 2 - 2 Birmingham C. First Division
1949/1950 Sat 01 Apr Birmingham C. 0 - 2 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Sat 12 Nov Newcastle Utd. 3 - 1 Birmingham C. First Division
1948/1949 Mon 27 Dec Newcastle Utd. 1 - 0 Birmingham C. First Division
Sat 25 Dec Birmingham C. 2 - 0 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1947/1948 Wed 17 Sep Newcastle Utd. 1 - 0 Birmingham C. Second Division
Wed 10 Sep Birmingham C. 0 - 0 Newcastle Utd. Second Division
1946/1947 Mon 07 Apr Birmingham C. 2 - 0 Newcastle Utd. Second Division
Fri 04 Apr Newcastle Utd. 2 - 2 Birmingham C. Second Division
1933/1934 Sat 03 Feb Birmingham 1 - 2 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Sat 23 Sep Newcastle Utd. 0 - 0 Birmingham First Division
1932/1933 Tue 27 Dec Birmingham 1 - 2 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Mon 26 Dec Newcastle Utd. 2 - 1 Birmingham First Division
1931/1932 Sat 07 May Newcastle Utd. 0 - 3 Birmingham First Division
Wed 02 Sep Birmingham 4 - 1 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1930/1931 Wed 17 Sep Newcastle Utd. 2 - 2 Birmingham First Division
Wed 10 Sep Birmingham 1 - 1 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1929/1930 Wed 02 Apr Newcastle Utd. 1 - 1 Birmingham First Division
Sat 21 Sep Birmingham 5 - 1 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1928/1929 Sat 30 Mar Birmingham 0 - 0 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Sat 17 Nov Newcastle Utd. 1 - 0 Birmingham First Division
1927/1928 Tue 10 Apr Birmingham 0 - 2 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Mon 02 Jan Newcastle Utd. 1 - 1 Birmingham First Division
1926/1927 Sat 09 Apr Birmingham 2 - 0 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Sat 20 Nov Newcastle Utd. 5 - 1 Birmingham First Division
1925/1926 Sat 13 Mar Birmingham 1 - 1 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Sat 31 Oct Newcastle Utd. 1 - 3 Birmingham First Division
1924/1925 Sat 28 Mar Birmingham 1 - 1 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Sat 22 Nov Newcastle Utd. 4 - 0 Birmingham First Division
1923/1924 Wed 09 Apr Newcastle Utd. 2 - 1 Birmingham First Division
Sat 05 Apr Birmingham 4 - 1 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1922/1923 Wed 06 Sep Newcastle Utd. 0 - 0 Birmingham First Division
Mon 28 Aug Birmingham 0 - 2 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1921/1922 Wed 08 Feb Newcastle Utd. 0 - 1 Birmingham First Division
Sat 21 Jan Birmingham 0 - 4 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1907/1908 Sat 21 Mar Birmingham 1 - 1 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Sat 23 Nov Newcastle Utd. 8 - 0 Birmingham First Division
1906/1907 Sat 05 Jan Newcastle Utd. 2 - 0 Birmingham First Division
Sat 08 Sep Birmingham 2 - 4 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1905/1906 Wed 14 Mar Newcastle Utd. 3 - 0 Birmingham F.A. Cup
Sat 10 Mar Birmingham 2 - 2 Newcastle Utd. F.A. Cup
Sat 06 Jan Birmingham 0 - 1 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Sat 09 Sep Newcastle Utd. 2 - 2 Birmingham First Division
1904/1905 Sat 21 Jan Newcastle Utd. 0 - 1 Small Heath First Division
Sat 24 Sep Small Heath 2 - 1 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1903/1904 Sat 09 Jan Small Heath 3 - 0 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Sat 12 Sep Newcastle Utd. 3 - 1 Small Heath First Division
1901/1902 Sat 01 Feb Newcastle Utd. 2 - 0 Small Heath First Division
Sat 05 Oct Small Heath 3 - 1 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1897/1898 Tue 12 Apr Small Heath 1 - 0 Newcastle Utd. Second Division
Sat 27 Nov Newcastle Utd. 4 - 0 Small Heath Second Division
1896/1897 Sat 12 Sep Newcastle Utd. 4 - 3 Small Heath Second Division
Sat 05 Sep Small Heath 3 - 1 Newcastle Utd. Second Division
1893/1894 Sat 16 Dec Small Heath 1 - 4 Newcastle Utd. Second Division
Sat 28 Oct Newcastle Utd. 0 - 2 Small Heath Second Division