New signing Martin Pringle snatched a vital point for battling Charlton with
the last kick of the game at The Valley - seconds after the home side had an
equaliser controversially ruled out.
Temuri Ketsbaia gave the visitors the lead after 14 minutes when he latched on
to Alan Shearer's flick-on before firing past Simon Royce from 25 yards.
Nolberto Solano then doubled the advantage on 55 minutes after more good work
by Shearer and Ketsbaia, the Peruvian stabbing home the loose ball after
Ketsbaia's shot was only partially saved by Royce.
Charlton looked dead and buried but an inspired substitution brought them back
into the game, Mark Bright scoring with his first touch seconds after coming on
following Mills' long throw.
The home crowd then thought they had ended their run of eight straight league
defeats when another Bright header looked to have crossed the line before being
hacked clear.
Referee Peter Jones and his linesman weren't convinced however - they will be
when seeing a video replay of the incident - and it looked as though Newcastle,
down to 10 men after the dismissal of Nikos Dabizas, would escape.
But there was still time for another dramatic twist as Swedish international
Pringle, making his home debut since joining on loan from Benfica, fired a
volley past Harper with the last kick of the game to spark wild celebrations at
The Valley.
The home side had started brightly with Keith Jones, replacing the suspended
Neil Redfearn, battling his way to the byline but Steve Harper, deputising for
the suspended Shay Given, reacted quickly to cut out the danger.
John Robinson then went close to breaking the deadlock after seven minutes,
volleying just over from Pringle's flick-on.
But Newcastle gradually began to get into the game, Gary Speed firing inches
wide after Ketsbaia's lay-off 20 yards out.
Shearer then escaped the attentions of Carl Tiler to race to the byline and
Mills did well to get to the cross before the lurking Ketsbaia.
A goal looked on the cards and the visitors then duly took the lead after 14
minutes with a breakaway goal.
Warren Barton's long clearance was neatly headed into the path of Ketsbaia by
Shearer but at that stage there appeared little on.
Shearer peeled off to the right and was screaming for the return pass when the
Georgian kept advancing as the Charlton defence backed off, before unleashing a
low right-foot shot past Royce, making his Premiership debut, into the bottom
corner.
Charlton were rocked back on their heels and a second goal looked likely,
Steve Howey heading straight at Royce from Solano's corner.
Ketsbaia then sprung the offside trap from Barton's through ball but dragged
his shot across the face of goal, Mills doing well simply to get out of the way
and avoid diverting it into his own net.
Shearer was then booked after being judged to have fouled Pringle, the England
captain vigorously protesting that he had played the ball, after a caution that
will earn him a one-match ban.
Charlton saved their best move of the first half till last, Robinson forcing a
good save from Harper with a first time shot after Newton's pass.
The second half was only a few seconds old when Dabizas joined Shearer in
referee Jones' notebook for a foul on Andy Hunt, but Charlton failed to take
advantage of the resulting free-kick.
The home side enjoyed a brief spell of pressure but were unable to find the
final quality ball and were soon made to pay the price.
Shearer was again the supplier with another deft flick on to Ketsbaia who beat
Mills before firing at Royce. The goalkeeper appeared to have it covered but it
squirmed under his body and Solano was on hand to stab in the loose ball.
That prompted a do-or-die double substitution from manager Alan Curbishley on
62 minutes, and the switch paid instant dividends.
Mills' long throw was flicked on by Youds to 36-year-old Bright, on for the
injured Andy Hunt, and he scored with a downward header, his first touch of the
ball on his first league appearance this season.
Minutes earlier Hunt had injured himself in the course of an acrobatic
overhead kick that looked destined for the top corner until Harper somehow
managed to fingertip the ball over.
The Addicks were given further hope after 77 minutes when Newcastle were
reduced to 10 men, Dabizas sent off for a second bookable offence after a foul
on Mark Kinsella.
Ruud Gullit was forced to reorganise, Aaron Hughes brought on for Solano, as
Newcastle tried to hang on to their lead.
From then on the visitors had 10 men behind the ball in their own half for
much of the last 10 minutes and Charlton eventually found the equaliser, Pringle
beating Harper from 12 yards as all looked lost.
Teams
Charlton: Royce, Mills, Powell, Youds, Newton (Konchesky 63),
Kinsella, Hunt (Bright 63), Robinson, Jones (Parker 79), Tiler,
Pringle.
Subs Not Used: Ilic, Brown.
Goals: Bright 64, Pringle 90.
Newcastle: Harper, Barton, Howey, Shearer, Speed,
Ketsbaia (Dalglish 89), Georgiadis, Solano (Hughes 79), Domi,
Dabizas, Brady (Charvet 72).
Subs Not Used: Perez, Barnes.
Sent Off: Dabizas (77).
Booked: Shearer, Dabizas, Georgiadis.
Goals: Ketsbaia 13, Solano 55.
Att: 20,043
Ref: P Jones (Loughborough).
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