The Magpies looked to have won an instantly forgettable game when Jack Colback fired them into a 74th-minute lead.
However Crouch headed fellow substitute Geoff Cameron's 90th-minute cross over keeper Tim Krul to claim a 1-1 draw on Tyneside and deny head coach John Carver back-to-back Barclays Premier League victories and leave Newcastle still awaiting as first home win of 2015.
Colback might not have been on the pitch to put the Magpies ahead had referee Kevin Friend issued a second caution for a 71st-minute foul on Victor Moses.
The goal briefly raised the spirits of a crowd of just 47,763 - the lowest at St James' Park this season - but there were boos on the final whistle with Carver's men having passed up an opportunity to climb into the top 10.
Daley Blind’s late equaliser earned Manchester United a point against West Ham in a 1-1 draw dominated by the hosts at Upton Park.
The Hammers had looked like enhancing their European hopes and denting Manchester United's bid for Champions League football when makeshift defender Cheikhou Kouyate twice juggled the ball before, with his third touch, hitting a superb volley on the turn into the net.
Radamel Falcao missed a glorious opportunity to equalise 14 minutes from time, but Blind popped up to score late on and earn a point for the visitors, who finished the game with 10 men as Luke Shaw was sent off for two bookable offences.
Brown Ideye was West Brom's unlikely saviour as they fought back from two down to draw 2-2 at fellow strugglers Burnley.
The Baggies' record signing almost left the club in the final hours of the winter transfer window on Monday but came off the bench at half-time at Turf Moor to head in the equaliser.
Burnley were two up inside 32 minutes through Ashley Barnes and Danny Ings but Chris Brunt pulled one back just before half-time for Albion.
It was a first Premier League goal of the season for Brunt, who lost the captain's armband to deadline-day signing Darren Fletcher.
The point was enough for Burnley to climb back out of the relegation zone but they desperately needed all three with an extremely tough run of fixtures coming up.
Manchester City's Barclays Premier League title hopes suffered another setback as they needed an stoppage-time equaliser from James Milner to snatch a 1-1 draw at home to struggling Hull.
David Meyler capitalised on poor City defending to fire Steve Bruce's side ahead in the 35th minute, thus condemning City to a fifth match without a win in all competitions.
That wretched run, which has yielded just two points from a possible 12 and seen them knocked out of the FA Cup by Middlesbrough, has seen them drop seven points behind leaders Chelsea after Jose Mourinho's men won 2-1 at Aston Villa.
To make matters worse for the champions, they were up against a Tigers side who came into the game in the relegation zone and on the back of four straight defeats.
A first goal in five matches helped Hull stop the rot and move out of the bottom three, but were denied all three points by Milner's brilliant free-kick two minutes into time added on.
Chelsea were also facing a team for whom goalscoring has become alien and sealed victory thanks to efforts from Eden Hazard after eight minutes and Branislav Ivanovic with a brilliant volley after 66.
In between times Jores Okore ended Villa's 11-hour wait for a goal in the league, but it was not enough to earn a point.
In the lunchtime kick-off, Harry Kane scored twice, heading an 86th-minute winner, as Tottenham came from behind to beat Arsenal 2-1 in the north London derby at White Hart Lane.
Mesut Ozil's opener gave the Gunners the early advantage, but Kane tapped in the equaliser shortly after the break before leaping to nod Nabil Bentaleb's cross past David Ospina to send the hosts above their bitter rivals in the table and level on points with Manchester United in fourth.
Everton and Liverpool drew 0-0 in a low-key Merseyside derby at Goodison Park in Saturday's late game.
Southampton moved up to third as Sadio Mane's goal in the third minute of second-half stoppage time sealed a 1-0 win at QPR in struggling Rangers' first match since the departure of Harry Redknapp. QPR had an even later effort ruled out.
Crystal Palace's revival under Alan Pardew continued as Joe Ledley's goal earned them a 1-0 success at bottom side Leicester.
Swansea came from behind to draw 1-1 at home to Sunderland, Ki Sung-yueng's equaliser cancelling out Jermain Defoe's opener.