David Unsworth went from villain to hero as Everton clawed their way to a crucial point in their battle to avoid the relegation dogfight.

Substitute Unsworth scored a crazy own goal to give Newcastle the lead seconds after the break.

And Everton were heading to a shattering defeat until Harrow referee David Elleray decided that Steve Caldwell's contact with Kevin Campbell in the box merited a spotkick.

Newcastle were furious, but their complaints got nowhere and up stepped Unsworth, shrugging aside Paul Gascoigne's offer to take the kick against his old club.

Unsworth held his nerve and redeemed himself in the eyes of the fans by cooly drilling home the spotkick.

Everton deserved something from the game but it looked for a long time that they were going to end empty handed, particularly after Unsworth had nudged into the net an Alan Shearer crossshot.

The former England skipper had robbed Abel Xavier of the ball when the Portuguese defender should have cleared easily.

It was a bitter blow for Unsworth and Everton, and Newcastle seemed to be heading for an end to their mini-slump of three successive defeats.

Even the introduction of Gascoigne for the final 19 minutes failed to do much to turn the tide Everton's way until Elleray's finger pointed to the spot.

Everton had started without Stephen Hughes, who wasn't even on the bench for this Premiership crunch. His absence heightened expectation that a move to West Ham could be back on next week.

Gascoigne was back after four months out, but only on the bench, while Newcastle, after one win in their previous five, left out Alain Goma, the injured Kieron Dyer, and Kevin Gallacher, with Robert Lee, Christian Bassedas and Caldwell coming in.

In a dour first half Newcastle felt they were denied a penalty when David Weir knocked over Shearer in the box as they contested a cross but Elleray waved play on.

Shay Given produced an outstanding save to block a Francis Jeffers shot after the Everton youngster had been put clean through by a Campbell touch.

On 16 minutes Everton were enraged when Jeffers was jostled to the ground by Wayne Quinn and again Elleray saw nothing wrong.

Gary Naysmith was booked for a tackle from behind on Nolberto Solano and Everton should have taken the lead when Watson's quick freekick reached Naysmith and his cutback found Campbell but he shot wide from eight yards.

Naysmith took no further part. He was flat out in agony on the by-line, having fallen awkwardly as he crossed, and was eventually carried off on a stretcher and replaced by Unsworth.

Campbell went close with two headers, one wide and another pulled from under the bar by Given, before Gemmill almost opened the scoring. Campbell nodded down a Alex Nyarko ball into the box, and Gemmill's first time effort was narrowly wide.

Everton were hit by another injury blow seconds before the break when Nyarko was carried off after damaging his right thigh stretching for a pass. Idan Tal came on to replace him.

Within a minute of the re-start, the Geordies were ahead in crazy fashion. Shearer chased a long ball into the box and Xavier appeared to be in control. But he was robbed by Shearer, who spun to hit an angled drive which Gerrard palmed out, only for Unsworth to lamely deflect into his own net.

The goal stunned Everton and Newcastle got plenty of bodies back as the home side pressed for an equaliser.

A 65th minute flick from Gemmill gave Jeffers a half chance in the box, but he sliced his left foot shot wide.

Jeffers was unfortunate again when he latched onto an Unsworth freekick that had cleared the box. He juggled the ball and then spun to fire wide of the far post.

Gazza's arrival came on 71 minutes, a last throw of the dice to turn a match that was slipping away from the Merseysiders.

That's how it stayed until Elleray pointed to the spot with six minutes left after Caldwell had been adjudged to have shoved over Campbell. Unsworth stepped up and coolly drove home the equaliser himself.

Teams:

Everton: Gerrard, Xavier (Gascoigne 69), Weir, Ball, Steve Watson, Naysmith (Unsworth 29), Gemmill, Nyarko (Tal 45), Gravesen, Campbell, Jeffers.

Subs Not Used: Simonsen, Jevons.

Booked: Naysmith.

Goals: Unsworth 82 pen.

Newcastle: Given, Griffin, Stephen Caldwell, Hughes, Quinn, Bassedas (Glass 87), Lee, Acuna, Solano (Cordone 87), Shearer, Ameobi (Gallacher 69).

Subs Not Used: Harper, Mclean.

Booked: Shearer, Lee.

Goals: Unsworth 47 og.

Att: 35,779

Ref: D Elleray (Harrow-on-the-Hill).