Milner rescues point for Magpies

Danny Higginbotham's first goal in a red and white shirt had given the home side a deserved lead seven minutes after the break as they looked to end a run of five successive defeats by their closest rivals.

However, Milner played a neat one-two with Joey Barton before drilling a 65th-minute shot across Craig Gordon and inside the far post to ensure the spoils were shared. There was almost a twist in the tail when former Magpie Michael Chopra headed an Ian Harte cross against the crossbar with just eight minutes remaining.

Sunderland boss Roy Keane took a gamble on winger Carlos Edwards, who had not played a senior game since tearing his hamstring at Birmingham on August 15, and handed Chopra the task of partnering in-form striker Kenwyne Jones in attack.

Chopra profited in and around the big man sending an overhead kick wide on 17 minutes and was just off target with a long-range effort nine minutes later. However, his best attempt came a minute before the break when he forced keeper Steve Harper to turn away a well-struck drive from distance with the home side piling on the pressure.

Harper, who was born in Easington, a territory shared by the two clubs, had earlier kept his side level with a fine double save, scraping away Ian Harte's cross and then blocking Grant Leadbitter's follow-up.

A feisty half ended in suitable fashion with Dickson Etuhu and Barton in each other's faces after the Newcastle man's late challenge, but both left the field knowing their were more important issues still to be resolved.

Mark Viduka flashed a 50th-minute cross just over Michael Owen's head with Paul McShane desperately trying to get across, but the fireworks came at the other end two minutes later. Abdoulaye Faye wastefully conceded possession on halfway to force David Rozehnal to concede a corner, and it was taken quickly for Leadbitter to cross to the far post for Higginbotham to head firmly past Harper.

Newcastle grabbed a lifeline on 65 minutes when Milner exchanged passes with Barton and then sent a low shot across goal and just inside the far post.

And in a frenetic finish, Chopra was denied by the woodwork as another late show eluded Keane's men.