Smogs Are No Push Over At St James' Park!

Michael Owen's return to goalscoring form could not secure Kevin Keegan his first win as Middlesbrough fought back to deny Newcastle all three points.

German international defender Robert Huth headed home an 87th-minute Julio Arca cross to cancel out Owen's 60th-minute strike and extend the Magpies' winless Barclays Premier League run to eight games.

But it might have been even worse with the Teessiders having an injury-time effort from Jeremie Aliadiere ruled out for offside.

Owen had served England boss Fabio Capello with a timely reminder of his predatory instincts when he glanced home a free-kick on the hour to end his side's 455-minute wait for a league goal - his first since October 7.

Owen had been enduring an ordinary game despite having two earlier strikes disallowed, the first of them controversially.

But a game which gathered pace as it wore on eventually ended even as Boro were rewarded for a late onslaught in front of a crowd of 51,105.

The Tyne-Tees derby pitched two sides lurking on the fringes of the battle for survival into battle - with Newcastle, just two points better off than their local rivals.

Boro arrived content to pack the midfield area with Aliadiere operating as a lone striker, giving themselves greater solidity, but the capacity to attack on the counter.

That was something they did only towards the end of the opening 45 minutes as with the pace of Gary O'Neil and Stewart Downing on the wings causing the Magpies problems, although leading to few genuine openings.

There were few chances of note at either end with Aliadiere's scuffed shot on the half-hour the only save Shay Given had to make, with Schwarzer not called upon until injury-time to deal with a similarly mishit Alan Smith effort.

However, it might have been so different for Keegan's men had referee Mike Dean not chalked out Owen's fourth-minute header.

The official blew when the England international had stabbed home the loose ball after Mark Schwarzer had dropped Emre's corner at his feet, although there seemed to be minimal contact between the two men.

Owen had the ball in the net once again in the 20th minute with a back-post header, but Emre's corner had clearly gone out of play.

But on the whole, Newcastle again lacked the creative spark to open up a Boro side who were nothing if not rugged in their approach - David Wheater and Aliadiere were both booked for fouls and Lee Cattermole was fortunate not to be - and Southgate would have been the happier manager at the break, although not by much.

Southgate will have been far more satisfied, however, 10 minutes into the second half as his side made a concerted push.

Steven Taylor had to make a vital block after Aliadiere had taken advantage of Claudio Cacapa's lapse in concentration to pick out Gary O'Neil.

Given came to the rescue on 53 minutes to parry Downing's shot as it bounced nastily in front of him, and collect O'Neil's follow-up at the near post.

However, when the breakthrough finally arrived, it was at the other end as Owen came to life just when he needed to.

Luke Young was penalised for a foul on Charles N'Zogbia wide on the left, and when Emre curled the ball to the near post, the England striker timed his run to perfection to glance a header past Schwarzer.

Had O'Neil retained his composure, the visitors would have been level eight minutes later, but he dragged his effort wide of the far post after turning Cacapa with ease.

Given had to be at his best in the 79th minute when Wheater span and fired in a low drive which he turned away with Cacapa clearing up the rebound.

But there was to be further late drama and Boro were level with three minutes remaining when Huth looped a header over Given from Julio Arca's deep cross.

Keegan's afternoon could have ended in disaster when Downing's injury-time free-kick came back off the post and Aliadiere fired home the rebound, but an offside flag ensured that the spoils were shared.

Newcastle's European hopes took a major dent as they failed to make the most of their dominance over derby rivals Middlesbrough.

In a game of few genuine chances, the Magpies made and squandered the best of them on a frustrating afternoon at St James' Park.

Winger James Milner hit the bar with a 51st-minute free-kick and skipper Scott Parker forced Mark Schwarzer into a vital last-minute save.

But Obafemi Martins passed up three glorious opportunities as Glenn Roeder's men repeatedly put Boro under pressure, but simply could not make it tell in front of a largely disappointed crowd of 52,303.

The Teessiders were virtually anonymous as an attacking force and rarely looked like claiming their first top-flight double over their neighbours since 1978, but defended resiliently enough to extend their run to just one defeat in 14 games.

Boro arrived with their strikeforce of Mark Viduka and Ayegbeni Yakubu in top form to take on a defence which has again proved the Magpies' Achilles heel this season.

In the event, it was at the other end which most of the significant action occurred as Newcastle set about their opponents with some gusto.

With Milner giving full-back Andrew Taylor a torrid time down the right and the fit-again Charles N'Zogbia keeping Stuart Parnaby on his toes on the opposite flank, the home side always looked the more likely to open the scoring.

However, they were too often guilty of failing to find a final ball which gave front two Martins and Kieron Dyer any chance of troubling Mark Schwarzer.

Right-back Nolberto Solano, included after missing training with the virus which prevented Damien Duff's participation, was particularly culpable as a series of promising openings went begging.

For all their pressure, Newcastle created only two genuine opportunities, and they might have done better with both.

Nicky Butt's astute 19th-minute throughball allowed Martins to run away from the Boro defence, but he delayed his shot until Schwarzer closed down the angle, and the keeper made a good one-handed save.

The Australian was far less taxed 10 minutes later when full-back Steven Taylor met Milner's corner with a solid header, but he directed straight at Schwarzer.

With Titus Bramble doing an excellent job on Yakubu and former Boro target Oguchi Onyewu just about holding firm despite being fully extended by Viduka, Boro threatened only fleetingly, although finished the half with a flourish.

The two strikers linked almost for the first time in the half on 40 minutes for the Australia international to send a shot on the turn just wide, and Shay Given had to race from his line on the stroke of half-time to punch clear from the same man after Julio Arca had played him in.

In an untidy side to the second half, the home side continued to make the running, but were unable to shake off their wastefulness.

However, they came within inches of taking the lead on 51 minutes when, after Emanuel Pogatetz had tripped Dyer, Milner curled a free-kick beyond Schwarzer only to see it hit the crossbar.

The home side were making their big push, but having seen his men hold firm for the best part of an hour Southgate made his move on 59 minutes when he replaced the combative Lee Cattermole with winger James Morrison.

But Newcastle went agonisingly close on 62 minutes when Dyer turned Solano's pass into the path of Parker, who drilled a low shot inches past the far post.

Morrison was followed on to the pitch by South Korea international Dong-Gook Lee as the ineffectual Yakubu made way, although it was defender Pogatetz who provided an unlikely threat on 66 minutes.

The Austrian broke up the field after a Parker's drive had been charged down, but with Lee in acres of space, he tried to take on Solano and lost out.

Boro almost cracked 19 minutes from time when Martins got on the end of Taylor's knock down deep inside the penalty area, but the striker's first touch was poor and Schwarzer was able to claim with the help of a deflection off Pogatetz.

Referee Steve Bennett waved away Dyer's appeals for a 79th-minute penalty after he was bundled to the ground by Arca as he ran on to Onyewu's knockdown with the Magpies desperate to find a late breakthrough.

Newcastle battered away at the visitors as the clock ran down and Parker saw a last-minute diving header saved, but they simply could not find the cutting edge which had deserted them all afternoon.

BORO: Schwarzer, Parnaby, Riggott, Southgate, Pogatetz, Morrison, Doriva, Mendieta (Bates 69), Cattermole, Viduka, Yakubu (Hasselbaink 74).
Subs Not Used: Maccarone, Jones, Johnson.

Geordie Lee Clark spared manager Newcastle boss Graeme Souness with a last-gasp derby equaliser against Middlesbrough just as the Toon Army started to turn.

The 32-year-old struck deep into injury-time to hand the Scot a reprieve after substitute Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink looked to have piled on the pressure with an 87th-minute strike.

Nolberto Solano had fired the home side ahead with a superb 27th-minute free-kick, but Aiyegbeni Yakubu's 53rd-minute strike had dragged the visitors back into it.

Newcastle were unable to take advantage of a series of second-half chances to win the game, and looked to have lost it when Hasselbaink slid the ball past Shay Given, but Clark rescued his side - and his manager - with his first goal for his home-town club since January 1997.

That might not have been enough for the Geordie faithful, many of whom among a crowd of 52,302 made their feelings known on the final whistle, but with Michael Owen facing three months on the sidelines, it might buy Souness a little more breathing space.

The Scot has suffered more than his fair share of misfortune during his time at St James' Park and went into the game with £27.5million of his summer investment in the treatment room in the shape of Owen, Scott Parker and Emre, with Kieron Dyer and Steven Taylor also injured, Lee Bowyer suspended and Stephen Carr missing after a reported training ground bust-up with the manager.

However, the Scot has by no means had a monopoly on bad luck and opposite number Steve McClaren arrived on Tyneside without key midfielder George Boateng, star winger Stewart Downing, promising full-back Tony McMahon and Brazilian Fabio Rochemback, and with £7.5million summer signing Yakubu having passed a late fitness test on a hip problem.

With both sides having had a disappointing Christmas - Newcastle suffered back-to-back defeats at Liverpool and Tottenham and Boro took a single point from home games against Blackburn and Manchester City - hopes were not high for a thriller, although the fare on offer before the break kept both sets of fans interested.

Boro, perhaps less depleted than their hosts despite having to field 17-year-old midfielder Lee Cattermole, were the more compact and in Stuart Parnaby and James Morrison down the right, had an outlet which troubled the Magpies repeatedly.

Gaizka Mendieta and James Morrison were the main providers, although too often, the service to front two Yakubu and Mark Viduka was simply not good enough.

However, it was they who should have taken the lead on 25 minutes when the Australian met Parnaby's cross four yards out, but lifted his shot over the crossbar.

Boro had strong claims for a penalty waved away three minutes before the after Robbie Elliott fell on the ball in the midst of a goalmouth scramble, but by that point, they were already behind.

The travelling fans were still wondering how Viduka had missed when Chris Riggott was adjudged to have fouled Shola Ameobi 25 yards out, and Solano took full advantage to curl a trademark free-kick past Schwarzer.

Albert Luque had earlier hit the post and twice failed to make the most of one-on-ones with Schwarzer as a makeshift home side worked desperately hard, and indeed, they were causing the greater problems.

Souness addressed the problem down the left at the break when he withdrew Elliott and Ameobi and sent on specialists Celestine Babayaro and Charles N'Zogbia, and the move gave the Magpies a more solid look.

Titus Bramble, who had looked solid before the break, atoned for his own 48th-minute error when he cut out Yakubu's through-ball to Viduka having initially handed it on a plate to the Nigerian, but the defender was not so fortunate on 53 minutes.

He charged upfield before needlessly giving the ball away and Morrison exchanged passes with Viduka to escape from Babayaro and send in a low cross which Yakubu turned past Shay Given with the minimum of effort.

Solano was not gifted similar space and time two minutes later when Cattermole's sliding challenge prevented him from getting a clean strike to Shearer's pull-back with Newcastle looking for a swift response.

N'Zogbia fired into the side-netting and Luque wasted a good opportunity to cross, but Mendieta forced Given to collect a low cross at the near post as the game opened up.

McClaren replaced Mendieta with Matthew Bates on 69 minutes, and he found himself under pressure almost immediately when Luque ran on to Clark's pass and crossed for Solano to head just over.

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink arrived in place of Yakubu with 16 minutes remaining, but it was Clark who twice had shots charged down in quick succession at the other end as the home side pushed for a winner.

However, the Dutchman made no mistake when played in behind Jean-Alain Boumsong, sliding the ball beyond the advancing Given to make it 2-1.

But there was just one more late twist to come, and when Schwarzer cleared Solano's 92nd-minute corner to Clark, he fired a left-foot volley through a crowded penalty area to level.