Clark's late goal eases pressure on Souness

Whether or not the 32-year-old's left-foot volley in injury-time is enough to keep Graeme Souness from the chop remains to be seen, but time is fast running out in the manager's bid to turn things around.

The chants for him to be removed had started to ring around St James' Park when, with the score level after Aiyegbeni Yakubu's strike cancelled out Nolberto Solano's exquisite free-kick, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink put Boro in front with three minutes remaining.

Hasselbaink, who could become a target for the Magpies during the January transfer window following Michael Owen's broken metatarsal, had only been on the pitch 13 minutes but was in clinical mood and reminded Steve McClaren of his prowess in front of goal.

But Clark, brought back to Newcastle in the summer to work with the reserves, struck to claim a valuable point for the Magpies as Souness remained seated in the dug-out shaking his head.

While Souness' position will continue to be the subject of discussion ahead of Saturday's visit of Mansfield in the FA Cup, the draw also did little to help McClaren's side climb away from the relegation zone.

Boro, still four points shy of 11th- placed Newcastle, are without a win in seven league matches and wins for Fulham and Everton yesterday have led to the Teesside outfit dropping to within two places of the relegation zone.

Such has been Newcastle's luck on the injury front this season, highlighted by the non-appearance of star performers again yesterday, Steve Harper should forget about claiming the club is cursed as it is his own career on Tyneside that looks to be haunted by hoodoos.

The unfortunate Easington-born keeper had been expected to make his first senior start since April 9 but Shay Given, whose thumb was apparently extremely swollen after Saturday's trip to Tottenham, remarkably recovered enough to play.

Worryingly, Scott Parker was another absentee for the hosts and that proved to be to the benefit of both Clark and Newcastle.

In stark contrast, despite their poor showing at home to Manchester City on Saturday, Boro only made one change to the starting line-up, with teenager Lee Cattermole asked to make his Premiership debut at the expense of the injured Franck Queudrue.

The 17-year-old was given a harsh indication of what life is going to be like in the top-flight when Clark crunched into him from behind but, like Boro, he started steadily on away soil.

Even though Albert Luque went the closest to breaking the deadlock five minutes in, when he hit the post after rounding Mark Schwarzer, Boro opened with a freshness about their play.

The change of systems - McClaren reverted to an orthodox 4-4-2 - clearly suited them and midfielder Gaizka Mendieta twice fired just over in the early exchanges.

Newcastle, playing in front of an expectant home crowd, showed signs of encouragement. But, particularly down Robbie Elliott's left hand side, it was Boro who looked most like scoring first.

They should have done exactly that on 25 minutes when Viduka somehow contrived to miss from four yards. The Aussie's effort on the slide only managed to turn Stuart Parnaby's pin-point centre over.

That proved costly seconds later when Solano nonchalantly stepped up and curled a right-foot free-kick high into Schwarzer's right corner.

Any nervousness about Newcastle's play disappeared, yet it was still Boro who showed more composure.

And, after referee Steve Bennett infuriated the visitors' bench when choosing to have a word with Viduka for holding off the attention of Jean-Alain Boumsong, the Orpington official failed to award a penalty when many others would have done.

After Viduka and Given challenged for a high ball, which dropped loose in the area, a grounded Robbie Elliott looked to have scooped the ball with his arm as Morrison looked for the equaliser. Nothing was given and Newcastle held the lead at half-time.

The way McClaren, who spent large parts of the game in the technical area, escorted Mr Bennett down the tunnel at the interval suggested he was feeling the pressure at the prospect of another day without success.

But it was his opposite number, Souness, who opted to change things for the second half, with both men down his left flank being replaced by Charles N'Zogbia and Celestine Babayaro.

And N'Zogbia it was who turned provider shortly after his introduction. The little Frenchman's long pass was brought under instant control by Luque, whose attempted chip over Schwarzer dropped the wrong side of the crossbar.

But it was still Boro who looked the more fluent and there could be little argument about whether they deserved to equalise when they did.

Titus Bramble's misplaced pass was intercepted by Morrison inside his own half. The lively Darlington youngster played a neat one-two with Viduka that left the former in huge space down the right.

Morrison picked out Yakubu, leaving the Nigerian with the easy task of slotting past Given from close range for his 11th goal in 19 Premiership appearances.

From that point neither side looked set on stepping up a gear in a bid to claim all three points - as shown by McClaren's withdrawal of Mendieta for defender Matthew Bates.

That decision alone - one of two substitutions greeted with boos by the travelling contingent - could quite easily have backfired and very nearly did.

Luque's cross to the back post evaded everyone except Solano, but his header found the top of the net and Boro escaped.

As the Teessiders found themselves trying to hold on, they forced one counter-attack and scored the goal which should have won it.

Viduka's perfectly-weighted pass into Hasselbaink's path was struck first time beyond the outstretched finger tips of Given.

But, in injury-time and with Given up for a corner as chants of 'Souness out' rang across the stadium, Schwarzer's weak punch from Solano's corner dropped to the edge of the area. Clark picked his spot and struck a sweet left-foot volley through a melee of bodies and into the net. Spoils shared.