Middlesbrough 2 Newcastle 2

Former Middlesbrough star Mark Viduka was denied the headlines as Newcastle United had to make do with a point.






The Australian looked to have won it with 13 minutes left when he claimed his first Magpies goal and his 150th in British football, but Sunderland old boy Julio Arca levelled three minutes later.

Charles N'Zogbia had put the visitors in front with a 22nd-minute piledriver, but Mido's second goal in as many games for his new club pegged the visitors back six minutes later.

Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce kept faith with the 11 men who started against Aston Villa last weekend, and that meant a swift return to the Riverside Stadium for former Boro striker Mark Viduka.

Alan Smith blazed high and wide from distance from Viduka's first minute knockdown as the Magpies started strongly, but they were forced to make a change after just six minutes when Stephen Carr landed awkwardly following an aerial challenge with Mido.

despairing dive

Peter Ramage replaced him and slotted straight in at right-back, and Boro gradually worked their way into the game as the visitors regrouped. But the Magpies got into the game and it took a good block from George Boateng to deny Smith. And the visitors went ahead in stunning style on 22 minutes.

Ramage played the ball out to Charles N'Zogbia on the left and he cut inside Boateng before unleashing an unstoppable curling right-foot shot which sailed past Mark Schwarzer's despairing dive and into the top corner.

Rochemback wasted a glorious opportunity to pick out a team-mate when he was gifted space on the right a minute later with the Teessiders struggling to create clear-cut chances.

But they were back on level terms on 28 minutes when Mido ran on to Rochemback's ball over the top and evaded Steven Taylor's desperate lunge before rounding Harper and stabbing home.

Harper was scrambling across his goal once again three minutes later as Rochemback's shot took a deflection off Smith, and he produced a fine one-handed save to deny Julio Arca from the resulting corner.

Viduka was being given no space at all by former Newcastle defender Jonathan Woodgate and David Wheater as the Magpies struggled to make an impression in attack with the home side starting to dominate in the middle of the field.

perfect moment

Allardyce's problem's increased on 57 minutes when Ramage collapsed after a challenge with Mido and was stretchered off, Brazilian Claudio Cacapa taking his place.

But the Magpies went close on 61 minutes when N'Zogbia once again found space on the left and crossed for Viduka, who just failed to get a touch in front of goal under pressure from Wheater. Michael Owen replaced Martins on 72 minutes as Aliadiere was carried off on a stretcher after a collision with Taylor's elbow, with Tuncay replacing the Frenchman.

But it was Viduka who chose the perfect moment to open his Newcastle account 13 minutes from time when he collected N'Zogbia's pass, expertly turned Woodgate and after teeing himself up, blasted a shot past the helpless Schwarzer. But Arca ensured his side got some reward for their efforts when he controlled a clearance on his chest and drilled home a left-foot shot three minutes later.

Owen might have won it when he connected with N'Zogbia's 83rd-minute free-kick, but could only divert the ball into Schwarzer's arms.