Newcastle 2 Middlesbrough 2: Local lad 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 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.
Both sides 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 - so 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.
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.
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.
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.
PA
