Jon Walters gave Town a point with the last kick of the game as Blues left the home of the champions with a well deserved draw

The skipper latched on to a pass from Jack Colback in the fourth minute of added on time and slid the ball past Steve Harper and into the net.

Andy Carroll put Newcastle ahead midway through the first-half before Connor Wickham showed another glimpse of his potential with a terrific strike for Blues just before the break.

Carroll and Gareth McAuley both had chances to have added to the scoreline before once Blues target Shola Ameobi seemed to have given Newcastle the points from the penalty spot seven minutes from time after Grant Leadbitter had brought down Nicky Butt.

Town, who made one change to the side that drew with Doncaster last weekend, Jaime Peters coming in for Shane O'Connor at left-back, started much the better side and Jon Walters saw a shot kicked clear by Steve Harper after Newcastle had failed to deal with Wickham's long throw.

Walters miskicked with a half chance, Grant Leadbitter sending a follow up shot just wide as Chris Hughton's side struggled to get their game going.

Wickham then had a shot deflected but it was the home side who had the best opening of the first 20 minutes, Carroll beating the Blues' offside trap but failing to find Peter Lovenkrands with his cross.

Jonas Gutierrez was crowded out as he burst into the Town box before the Magpies took the lead on 26 minutes, Routledge escaping down the left and his cross was powered home by the head of Carroll.

Town responded with Walters denied following Peters' cross while at the other end, Gutierrez had a shot blocked by David Wright.

The Town defender picked up the first yellow card of the game for a foul on Gutierrez five minutes before the break but seconds later Town were level. Wickham got on the end of a long ball, shrugged off his marker and fired superbly past Harper into the bottom corner.

Lovenkrands was close to restoring Newcastle's lead within a minute, his shot going into the sidenetting after Peters had lost possession.

Leadbitter fired wide at the other end before Kevin Nolan tried unsuccessfully to back heel the ball past Murphy in the last action of the first-half.
Town should have been ahead within a minute of the restart, McAuley got above Carroll from Leadbitter's corner but sent his header just over from six yards.

McAuley was in the right place in the Town box to clear after Nolan tried to feed Jose Enrique as Newcastle pressed with more urgency than they showed in the first 45 minutes, Danny Guthrie sending a free-kick well over.

Gutierrez and Carroll combined to set up a great chance for Lovenkrands but he couldn't keep his shot down, Carroll then heading wide from Enrique's cross.

A superb weaving run from Gutierrez that left three Town defenders in his wake, ended with Murphy pushing out his cross and Blues forcing the ball away from danger.

Murphy then held firm under pressure from Carroll three yards out, the Newcastle frontman a real handful in the air.

David Norris became the second Blue to be booked, for a foul on Routledge, before Newcastle made their first change, Lovenkrands making way for Ameobi midway through the half. Liam Rosenior replacing Daryl Murphy soon after.

Ameobi was denied by Murphy after Guthrie's pass was diverted goalwards by Peters, Murphy then plucking Routledge's cross out of the air from Carroll.

Newcastle made a double change 15 minutes from time with England internationals Joey Barton and Nicky Butt on for Nolan and Guthrie.
Walters worked Harper with an overhead kick from McAuley's knockdown before Newcastle were presented with a penalty seven minutes from time, Leadbitter bringing down Butt and Ameobi did the rest from the spot.

Billy Clark and Owen Garvan were introduced as late substitutes as Town searched for an equaliser with Rosenior blasting just wide of the far post but with four minutes of added on time up, Walters struck with his eighth goal of the season to give Blues a deserved point.

Newcastle: Harper, Simpson, Williamson, Coloccini, Enrique, Routledge, Nolan (Butt 76), Guthrie (Barton 76), Gutierrez, Lovenkrands (Ameobi 66), Carroll. Subs not used: Krul, Smith, Taylor, Best.
Town: B.Murphy, D.Wright (Clark 85), McAuley, Smith, Peters, D.Murphy (Rosenior 71), Leadbitter (Garvan 85), Norris, Colback, Walters, Wickham. Subs not used: R.Wright, Martin, Quinn, Eastman. Booked: Wright, Norris.