NEWCASTLE UNITED were still thick in the relegation mire tonight but at least picked up a point against fellow relegation candidates Birmingham City.
In a typical game of two halves City dominated the first period and netted through James McFadden only for Newcastle to hit back through Michael Owen in the second half.
However, Kevin Keegan is still looking for his first win with the Fulham game at St James's Park still very much crucial to their chances of survival.
Keegan altered his team for the trip to Birmingham with Alan Smith dropped to make way for the returning Mark Viduka, while Oba Martins was also included in a three man attacking line-up.
However, there was no place at all for Damien Duff as KK wielded the axe in the crunch clash.
With James Milner out with a foot injury Geremi was handed a start in the middle and Joey Barton also returned after missing the 3-0 defeat at Liverpool due to bail conditions.
United found themselves in trouble after just seven minutes when they lost possession in their own half to allow James McFadden a shooting opportunity but the Scotsman’s effort was deflected wide by Habib Beye.
Two half chances followed for City but Newcastle sustained the early pressure.
And before the 15 minute mark there was also a minor interruption when a home fan invaded the pitch to taunt the Toon Army only to be wrestled away by a posse of stewards.
Yet Abdoulaye Faye’s grip on McFadden a minute later wasn’t as effective as Birmingham won a free-kick deep on the right which Gary McSheffrey blasted straight into the wall.
From the resultant corner United didn’t clear their lines, however, Mikael Forssell’s fizzing effort from range skidded the wrong side of the post for the home side to keep it level.
Newcastle’s first glimpse of goal came on 26 minutes from skipper Owen who was slipped in by Martins with the England striker shooting just over the top of the bar.
Former City man Butt hooked one over the top 30 seconds later but his wild effort never troubled Maik Taylor.
With 12 minutes remaining of the first half though a well worked move from Birmingham looked to have gone wrong when Hartlepool-born David Murphy clipped a left wing cross straight into the path of Faye.
But the Senegal international’s misjudgement gifted a simple chance for McFadden who applied the finish from close range and hand City a 1-0 lead.
United struggled to hit back and some tame late pressure was easily gobbled up by City.
And it was Birmingham who emerged the hungrier of the two teams for the second half as Harper somehow kept out Forrsell from close range after United were sliced open again straight from the kick-off.
Toon fans attempted to rally their team after that and helped force two successive corners.
Birmingham were equal to it though and even when Owen wriggled through to hit a goal-bound effort Maik Taylor pulled off a tremendous save to deny the United skipper on 50 minutes.
But Newcastle were level on 55 minutes when a Harper goal kick picked out Martins who exchanged passes with Owen before the Nigerian’s effort was parried by Maik Taylor into the path of the former Real Madrid star who poked home the rebound to make it 1-1.
The goal lifted Newcastle instantly with some committed challenges flying in from the black and whites and Martins was on hand two minutes before the hour mark to try a wicked curling effort with his left peg.
Martins also came close on 67 minutes when his low effort on the turn was tipped wide by Maik Taylor with City starting to buckle under the strain.
The Nigerian’s presence was clearly making an impact in the second half with the Toon Army showing their appreciation to the ex-Inter Milan ace with a series of chants.
However, with 10 minutes left Keegan replaced him with Charles N’Zogbia with the African clearly unhappy with a decision that left both sets of fans stunned.
The tactical move resulted in Newcastle reassembling as a 4-4-2 unit but the substitution meant United lacked fizz in attack.
BIRMINGHAM: M Taylor, Ridgewell, Kelly, Jaidi, Murphy, Muamba, Larsson (Parnaby 46), Johnson, McSheffery, Forssell (Jerome 71), McFadden (Zarate 86)
Subs: Doyle, Nafti
UNITED: Harper, Beye, S Taylor, Faye, Enrique, Barton, Butt, Geremi, Owen, Martins (N’Zogbia 80), Viduka.
Subs: Forster, Cacapa, Smith, Carroll.
Ref: Howard Webb (S Yorks)
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