IT was the clash between the one they got and the one that got away, and somehow it appeared fitting that it ended all square.

Graeme Souness up against Newcastle's first choice to replace Sir Bobby Robson, Steve Bruce - whose £7m escape clause from his Birmingham contract was just too pricey for the Magpies.

Souness became the man in possession at St James' Park and he remains unbeaten, despite losing his 100 per cent record at St Andrew's yesterday.

Two old sparring partners of Souness threatened to derail his Magpies record - former Blackburn striker Dwight Yorke scoring Blues opener after a great ball from ex-Rovers star David Dunn who bossed midfield - before Nicky Butt scored a cracker for his first goal for the Magpies.

Laurent Robert almost won it with an 85th-minute 35-yard free-kick that rebounded off the post but the record reads won four and drawn one in the five games since the Scot took charge - the honeymoon period is still going strong.

Souness last week promised goals from midfield and they duly arrived with Jermaine Jenas opening the scoring, and Butt cancelling out Matthew Upson's goal that threatend to win it for Birmingham.

The draw takes Newcastle up to sixth with Man. United only drawing at home to Middlesbrough yesterday, but Souness was a relieved man to still have his unbeaten record intact.

He made two changes from the side that started in Israel in midweek against Hapoel Bnei Sakhnin - Robbie Elliott and Nicky Butt replacing Aaron Hughes and Laurent Robert who both dropped to the bench.

Steve Bruce opted to leave Emile Heskey alone up front with Dunn playing just behind him, and the former Liverpool striker was in the wars early on.

A clash with Olivier Bernard in the fourth minute forced him off for treatment but by that point Newcastle were already one up.

Their dream start came courtesy of Jenas - Newcastle's first goal of the season from midfield with James Milner's strike against West Brom last week coming when he was playing alongside Alan Shearer.

Kluivert was the architect and when his cross-shot was deflected Jenas was there at the far post to pick up the pieces and fire them ahead.

Birmingham had lost a goal and they soon lost their main attacking threat. Bernard's early challenge on Heskey proved just too much for the striker who was forced off in the ninth minute.

Enter Yorke. The story was already written that he would score facing his old manager Souness and he duly obliged within 15 minutes of coming on.

Dunn played the ball through but the flag stayed down as Newcastle's defence were caught flat-footed.

Yorke sped off and when he reached he right hand angle of the box he drilled an effort that deflected off Andy O'Brien and flew through the legs of Shay Given.

Newcastle hit back immediately and Maik Taylor was at full stretch at the far post to keep out Shearer with the Newcastle skipper unable to get on the end of Patrick Kluivert's flick on from Bellamy's cross.

Birmingham were forced into their second substitution of the half in the 36th minute when Muzzy Izzett limped off after injurying himself when fouling Bernard - Stephen Clemence replacing him.

It was 100-miles-an-hour stuff and the game claimed its first black and white victim at half time.

Newcastle were forced into their first re-jig with hamstring victim Kluivert replaced by James Milner.

Newcastle lost a little of their sparkle without the Dutchman and Dunn started pulling the strings in midfield.

The Blues were in the ascendancy and Given was forced into two punched clearances early in the second period before the Irishman was guilty of staying firmly on his line, allowing Upson to put Birmingham 2-1up in the 57th minute.

Andy O'Brien fouled Jesper Gronkjaer on the left, Savage whipped the free-kick across Given's six-yard box but the goalkeeper stayed on his line and Upson headed home.

Souness decided enough was enough and replaced Bernard with Laurent Robert and switched to a back three with Robert and Milner as wing backs.

The move could be considered a qualified success as Newcastle equalised but looked rocky at the back.

Their goal came from a most unlikely source in Butt - his first for the club.

There seemed little on when Andy O'Brien lumped the ball in on 67 minutes but when Upson's header dropped to the midfielder he engineered a superb right-footed scissors kick from eight yards that buried itself in Taylor's bottom corner.

To Birmingham's credit they rallied and Yorke forced a super tip over from Given after Savage had got the better of a drop ball with Carr.

Newcastle still threatened, and Bellamy forced Jamie Clapham to clear off the line on 72 minutes when he got on the end of Robert's in-swinging corner.

Bellamy and his manager were incensed four minutes later when what appeared to be a clear push by Kenny Cunningham on Bellamy in the box went unpunished.

Souness switched to a back four but Dunn still threatened, forcing a superb scrambling save from Given.

The last throw of the dice was Robert's when his excellent free-kick rebounded off the post to ensure a point apiece.

Result: Birmingham City 2 Newcatle United 2.

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