Barclays Premier League
Gareth Davis reports from St James' Park

Derby were denied a first away win of the season with three minutes left on the clock as Mark Viduka netted for the second time to earn the home side a share of the points from an exciting encounter.

Giles Barnes had put Paul Jewell's side in front early on and they withstood some heavy pressure before Viduka equalised on 26.

Though the Rams came out strongly again after the break and Kenny Miller netted with his third goal for the club - and second against Newcastle - seven minutes into the second period.

It looked as though they would hold on to the points with Stephen Bywater largely untroubled, but the stopper could do nothing about Viduka's excellent finish late in the day.

Steve Howard lined up at St James' Park for the first time in his professional career as the lifelong Geordie was called in from the start to take on his boyhood club.

But Derby were dealt a blow before the game with news that Claude Davis - originally in the starting line-up - had to pull out with a knee injury, his place taken in the starting line-up by Eddie Lewis.

That meant Dean Leacock dropped in at centre-half with Lee Holmes called on to the bench for his first involvement in a Derby first-team squad since the last day of the 2005/06 season.

Newcastle were on the attack in the early stages but it was Derby who stunned St James' Park with a goal five minutes in.

The home side failed to deal with a throw on the left and it came out to Miller, on the corner of the box, who took control before laying it back to Giles Barnes some 25 yards out.

The teenager had time to take a touch to steady himself before drilling his shot low into Shay Given's bottom-right corner with a bullet-like finish.

It took a second or so to register with the Derby fans, high up in the stand at the opposite end of the ground, but they were soon cheering loud.

There were appeals for a penalty on nine as Alan Smith hit the deck while lining up a volley with Tyrone Mears putting him under pressure.

A few attacks were breaking down as Newcastle looked for a way back into the game, much to the frustration of the home fans.

Barnes turned saviour with 21 on the clock as he was perfectly positioned on the line to clear from Obafemi Martins, who had risen to meet Charles N'Zogbia's corner from no more than eight yards out.

Stephen Bywater's foot came to the rescue a few seconds later as Newcastle cranked up the pressure and Habib Beye drove goalwards from a narrow angle.

N'ogbia was next to threaten with a curling free-kick from right on the edge of the box, and while he got it over the wall he couldn't get the dip on it to bring the ball back down under Bywater's bar.

And the equaliser eventually arrived on 26.

Smith broke to the edge of the box and although he was challenged Derby failed to clear, leading to Mark Viduka turning smartly from the corner of the D and firing a low shot past Bywater.

Gary Teale and Nicky Butt picked up yellow cards, for similar challenges on Joey Barton and Barnes respectively, as the game started to be played out more in midfield.

Both sides had opportunities to make the most of possession in the final third but neither took them as the first half ticked along.

Bywater had to be commanding in the air on more than one occasion with balls coming into the Derby box from both sides but the stopper was equal with some solid punching.

The Rams, for their part, got through to half-time unscathed and with no serious scares.

Neither side made a change at half-time though there was an early opportunity for Derby just seconds after the restart as Howard rose to meet a Lewis cross but couldn't keep his header down.

But the second goal did arrive seven minutes in - and it meant Derby were in front for the second time in the game.

Howard flicked on a long clearance, Teale got another touch, before Kenny Miller took it in his stride and shook off the attentions of Cacapa before finishing smartly past Given.

The joy was almost short-lived as Barton smashed in a low effort from the edge of the box that just went past the post at the Gallowgate End.

Newcastle responded by throwing on Steven Taylor in place of David Rozenhal, much to the joy of the home faithful.

N'Zogbia was the next to go into Andre Marriner's notebook after a late lunge on Darren Moore, skipper in the absence of Oakley.

Howard then lined one up with his left foot from the edge of the box after being fed by Miller's back-heel, but once again his effort went over the bar.

Butt was next out of the action for the home side, on 67, giving Damien Duff the opportunity to make his long-awaited return after injury.

Miller talked himself into the book for dissent after disagreeing with Marriner's decision to pull him back for handball when it had appeared to strike him on the head.

Newcastle's final change of the afternoon saw them replace Barton with Emre on 75 minutes.

Duff skipped past Tyrone Mears on the left and put over what looked to be a harmless ball but it forced Bywater to dive away to his right and push it clear.

Lewis's afternoon was at an end on 76 as Craig Fagan took over from him and slotted straight in on the left.

One change became two with ten to go as Benny Feilhaber took over from Teale.

Martins looked to be in on a clever ball over the top but McEveley was back with a fine challenge as the Nigerian looked set to pull the trigger.

But the equaliser did arrive on 86 minutes.

Martins knocked down a long ball into the path of Viduka, just inside the box, and the Australian let fly with a clinical half-volley that gave Bywater no chance.

Almost immediately Derby broke and Mears went down in the box under a challenge from N'Zogbia, but the appeals were waved away.

The noise level around St James' Park was rocketing with both sides bombing forward in search of a winner.

Taylor fired over, as did N'Zogbia, and Emre was close to pinching it right at the death, but Derby will be happy with their point - despite having come so close to taking all three.

NEWCASTLE: Given, Rozenhal (Taylor 58), Cacapa, Barton (Emre 75), Martins, N'Zogbia, Milner, Smith (C), Beye, Butt (Duff 68), Viduka.

SUBSTITUTES: Harper (GK), Geremi.

DERBY: Bywater, McEveley, Leacock, Howard, Miller, Lewis (Fagan 77), Teale (Feilhaber 81), Moore (C), Mears, Pearson, Barnes.

SUBSTITUTES: Price (GK), Earnshaw, Holmes.

ATTENDANCE: 51,386.