Skipper Jon Walters grabbed a late equaliser to win the Blues a deserved point at a sunny St James’ Park on the day that Newcastle were handed the Championship trophy. In the first half, Andy Carroll put the home side in front before Connor Wickham netted his sixth of the season. After the break, Shola Ameobi’s penalty looked to have won it until Walters’s late goal.
Town boss Roy Keane made one change to the side which drew 1-1 with Doncaster a week ago, Jaime Peters coming in for Shane O’Connor at left-back. The Blues started in a 4-5-1 formation with Jon Walters on the left and Daryl Murphy — booed when his name was read out like all the Town players with Sunderland connections - on the right and Connor Wickham the lone striker.
In front of a Championship record crowd of 52,181, the Blues started strongly and might have gone in front in the second minute from a long Wickham throw. The ball reached Walters at the far post but the captain’s first strike was blocked and the second was stopped with his foot by keeper Steve Harper.
From a subsequent Wickham throw, the ball was cleared to Grant Leadbitter on the edge of the area and his strike was deflected over for a corner.
The Blues had been the more threatening of the two sides, but there was a big scare in the seventh minute when Andy Carroll broke away on the right with the Town defence claiming offside. Fortunately, the Newcastle striker was unable to find Peter Lovenkrands with his pass with both of them away behind the Blues backline.
Daryl Murphy and Jon Walters swapped flanks and the game continued to be an even affair, although with the home side having more of the possession, but with the Blues looking a threat on the counterattack.
On 26 the home side went in front with their first clear-cut chance of the game. Wayne Routledge got round the outside of David Wright on the Newcaslte left and sent in a cross, which Carroll headed powerfully into the net.
Wright picked up a yellow card for a late tackle on Jonas Gutierrez on 40, moments before the Blues got back on terms. Walters flicked on Brian Murphy’s long kick, Wickham took the ball between defenders Fabricio Coloccini and Mike Williamson and lashed a shot across Harper and into the net for his sixth goal of the season.
The Blues deserved to be back on terms, but the Magpies quickly went looking for a second goal, Lovenkrands shooting wide. Then at the other end Leadbitter screwed an effort wide from some distance.
Just before the break, Brian Murphy did well to block from Kevin Nolan with the former Bolton man having been played in behind the Town defence.
A draw was a fair scoreline at the break, although the Blues might even have shaded it on chances. Walters might have scored with his early chance, Carroll and Wickham showing him how it ought to be done later in the half.
Town could have gone ahead in the opening minute of the second period, McAuley heading Leadbitter’s corner over the bar having got free of his marker. The Northern Irishman will feel he should have scored.
Danny Guthrie curled a freekick wide in the 55th minute, then Lovenkrands went over from a clever Carroll flick with Jonas Gutierrez causing more than a few problems down the Blues’ right. On 59 Carroll headed wide having escaped Tommy Smith’s attentions.
Wickham shot well wide for the Blues on the hour, then a ball in from the Newcastle left was missed by everyone, hit Jaime Peters and was trickling towards goal when Brian Murphy pounced on it.
The home side were looking the more likely to score but weren’t creating too much in the way of clear-cut chances. On 63 David Norris was booked for a foul on Wayne Routledge on halfway.
On 70 Liam Rosenior replaced Daryl Murphy, the Irishman having had another quieter game playing in a wide midfield role for the first time for the Blues. Rosenior went to right midfield and Walters switched to the left.
Walters turned a McAuley knockdown over the bar after a Wickham long throw in the 78th minute as the Blues continued to look good for a point. But Town’s hopes of extending this season’s record number of draws to 20 looked to have been dashed four minutes later when Newcastle were awarded a penalty by referee Carl Boyeson.
Liam Rosenior ought to have cleared from deep inside the area to the right of goal, but inexplicably played a short pass to Grant Leadbitter, who was dispossessed by Nicky Butt. The Town midfielder upended Roy Keane’s former Manchester United team-mate and referee Boyeson had no choice but to point to the spot. Shola Ameobi slammed home from 12 yards.
With five minutes remaining, Owen Garvan replaced Grant Leadbitter and Billy Clark took over from David Wright, Rosenior moving to right-back to allow Clark to come into the midfield on the right. Rosenior went close with a shot from the edge of the area which flew only just past Harper’s right post in the 87th minute.
The game moved into injury time and Town kept going and with the final serious kick of the match the Blues drew level again. Clark found Wickham, who played wide to Colback, breaking into the Newcastle half in space on the left. The Newcastle-born Sunderland loanee in turn sent a low ball in to Walters running through in the centre and the skipper beat Harper to notch his eighth goal of the season.
Town deserved the point, having put in as good an away display as they have this season, although in a game not always played with the greatest intensity.
Connor Wickham was outstanding up front on his own, scoring an excellent goal, while the Blues midfield showed more attacking endeavour than in previous weeks, Colback in particular breaking forward on a number of occasions.
After the game, Newcastle were handed the Championship trophy and their players went on a lap of honour, the title having been sealed earlier in the week, with much of the Town support remaining behind and starting chants of ‘One Bobby Robson’.
The Magpies, who completed their home fixtures without being beaten at St James’ Park, were deserved winners of the division, but on the day the Blues, who have so often fallen short this season, matched them.
Town: B Murphy, D Wright (Clark 85), Peters, McAuley, Smith, Leadbitter (Garvan 85), Norris, Colback, Walters, D Murphy (Rosenior 70), Wickham. Unused: R Wright, Eastman, Martin, Quinn.