Newcastle Utd 2  Derby County 2:Sam Allardyce may be regretting his decision to reinstate Christmas. Recently improved results had persuaded the Newcastle United manager to abandon plans to lock his players away in a hotel for four nights this week but they showed precious little gratitude here.

Instead Newcastle's inadequacies were fully highlighted by a Derby side who not only stemmed a run of seven successive defeats but presented Paul Jewell with the first point of his managerial reign at Pride Park. Indeed Derby were a little unlucky not to claim what would have been only their second victory of this Premier League campaign and thereby complete an unlikely double over Newcastle.

Allardyce lamented: "It's very disappointing, we've missed numerous chances but sometimes you don't get what you deserve." Yet he could not argue that Newcastle deserved to suffer early punishment because of poor defending from David Rozehnal, as inside six minutes Derby registered only their second away league goal this season. It was created and scored by Jewell's two best players, Kenny Miller's square pass being swept home courtesy of Giles Barnes' low right-foot shot from just outside the area.

On 27th minutes the visitors made a meal of failing to clear one of Charles N'Zogbia's crosses and the ball fell to Mark Viduka and his low shot from just outside the area proved too good for Stephen Bywater. But Derby refused to fold and regained the lead on 52 minutes courtesy of Gary Teale's headed flick on and Miller's assured finish. It involved another embarrassing moment for Rozehnal, who was tricked by Miller's fancy footwork before the Scotland forward's shot eluded Shay Given.

Chewing gum with manic intensity, Newcastle's manager then introduced Damien Duff, newly recovered from a career-threatening ankle injury, for his first appearance of the season. If many Newcastle fans had forgotten Duff existed they were given a welcome reminder of his skills when Bywater did well to push his cross-shot to safety.

The second equaliser was a moment of misfortune for the previously impressive Darren Moore who was bamboozled by Martins as they contested Shay Given's long kick upfield. Moore looked poised to deal with it but Martins flicked the ball towards Viduka, who beat Bywater with a sublime half-volley struck with the outside of his right boot.