Taking the lead twice, feeling unlucky with a single point.

St James' Park, impressive and high, excellent seats, leg room and err high.

Watching the Rams on the road is changing fast as the Toon Army fight back to scrape a point.

Feeling like mountain goats we take our seats. A fantastic view of the City, John Lewis, M & S and I think a lighthouse in the distance. Down below….and the roof of the stand looks like a launching tube from a seventies sci-fi set….sorry err… down below a bunch of the smallest ball boys and girls even seen hold a circular sheet over the centre circle. Perhaps it's a height thing.

In all yellow, which is good because it makes the numbers easier to squint at, we hop around like canaries as the Magpies swoop to create chance after chance. Leacock leaves Smith his marker and looks to all the world as if he is somewhere else. McEveley beaten by the guile of Martins and there's only minutes on the clock.

Miller edge of the box turns, lays the ball back to Barnes and from twenty five yards a low shot is drilled into the corner of the net. Nearly a quarter of a mile away, the Upper Tier explodes with joy.

McEveley beats Viduka and clears a yard out as N'Zogbia fires in a low cross. Smith tumbles in the box , from behind the goal we see nothing wrong. Barnes off the line from a corner. Yes we are under the cosh.

Newcastle continue to press, Smith and Viduka constant thorns, both play their part in the equaliser. Ball right hand side of the Derby box, Leacock, half-heartedly lets his marker cut inside, Smith in the "D" goes to ground under challenge from Moore. Rugby style the ball is held before Leacock ambling back from his non tackle combines to push the ball into the path of Viduka who clinically beats Bywater by his left hand post. It was the crassest piece of defending seen since Simon Webster pulled on a white shirt for Derby County. Just watch the goal again. Uninterested, ambling, strolling, unaffected by desire, just watch. Just. Watch.

And the game opens up, both sides attack in waves which crash and break. The tide though is in the Toon's favour. As is the referee. Decisions. Teale is caught after the ball has gone nothing given, the winger then booked for catching a leg. Butt booked for taking down Barnes in full flight, and then seconds later the ex Manure star goes through on Pearson and catches him after the ball is played. Nothing given yet despite the height it looked as if the ref was going to blow but realised by doing so it would be another yellow and off.

Derby battle, Lewis always working back to help McEveley and also staying wide left providing width and an outlet for the diagonal ball. Howard and Miller combining, running and chasing the ball down, whilst Pearson and Barnes not natural tacklers work hard in the centre. An effective 4-4-2 formation.

Half time reached, concourses a mixture of optimism and cynicism "not many goals in either team", "next goal will win". Always nice to meet friendly faces.

Into the second and Barnes is ruffed up. Systematically. Butt, Barton, N'Zogbia but Derby score. Howard, Teale, Miller, into the box and over Given's arm and the net billows. Two one and deserved.

N'Zogbia a blatant obstruction on a Derby break, a clearer yellow you will never see unless your name is Marriner.

N'Zogbia follows through on Moore in the Rams box. Darren struggles to continue, the Toon defender getting a yellow when by virtue of his other fouls it should have been a second yellow and off.

Miller was next in the book for arguing that the ball had hit his head rather than the handball given. And I guess being as the ref ran around for most of the afternoon not knowing the difference between his ar*e and his elbow perhaps we shouldn't have been surprised.

Unsurprisingly, Derby time wasted, with a passion, but even that was too much for the official to deal with, he simply let it go much to the chagrin of the home set of supporters.

Newcastle took off Barton who was roundly booed by the visitors and brought on Damien Duff to play wide left his cross shot was saved well by Bywater at the expense of a corner.

With just four minutes of normal time remaining, a slip by the otherwise excellent Moore allowed Viduka to volley home the equaliser.

Time for one last piece of drama as Mears crashed to the deck under the challenge of N'Zogbia in the penalty area. Mr Marriner, looked to his linesman then waved play on. And when you're at the bottom that's what you get. Nothing.

On reflection coming away from a game feeling unlucky to get a point is a step in the right direction as far as I am concerned.

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Photo: Action Images via Reuters