A 93rd minute equaliser by United defender Paul Huntington denied the 'home' side what would have been a totally undeserved victory at Durham City's Archibalds Stadium on Wednesday night.

The forces of darkness had gone in front in the 42nd minute when Peter Hartley netted with a low shot from ten yards after McFarlane's corner wasn't cleared.

But although Newcastle fielded a more experienced side and had the majority of the play throughout, they struggled to turn their superiority into goals.

On another night Michael Chopra would have added to his eleven goal tally with another couple of strikes, but he was denied on three occasions by the much- maligned Kelvin Davis - as well as missing the target several times when well-placed. 

As the Magpies pressed forward with increasing desperation, they were twice grateful to Steve Harper at the other end for keeping them in the game.

Mackem striker Daryl Murphy found himself going one on one against the United 'keeper on 71 and 86 minutes, but was foiled on both occasions by good stops.

Having lined up with two wide outlets, a slightly wayward performance from Alan O'Brien down the left was curtailed just after the hour, when he left the field with what looked like a shoulder injury.

His opposite number Brittain though kept plugging away down the right and after trying his luck with a fierce shot on 70 minutes that Davis palmed away, it was his centre from the right that allowed Huntington to net the late leveller.

A mention too for Academy duo Matty Pattison and Andy Carroll, sent on in the second half by stand-in coach Glenn Roeder to good effect. 

Pattison it was who drove the Magpies forward in search of an equaliser, almost crowning his first reserve game since May 2004 with a late goal after a give and go with Chopra took him into the box, only for his effort to be deflected.

And Carroll's nuisance value in the area saw him unsettle the red and whites, as well as hit a goalbound effort in the last minute of normal time that rebounded away off Chopra's back - it really didn't look like our night at that point.....

Final word to Huntington though, who pounced for his second goal of the season when all seemed lost, delighting Toon fans at that end of the ground and giving anguished mackem onlookers that familiar sinking feeling again.