40 mins Fabricio Coloccini's innocuous infield pass from the left back position found Yohan Cabaye facing his own goal, who was promptly robbed by Jake Livermore. He prodded the ball into the path of Emmanuel Adebayor, who headed into the United box before deviating left as Steven Taylor approached.

Making a challenge reminiscent of the one that had upended Jamie O'Hara at Molineux, Taylor led with his left leg and sent the on-loan Cockerel tumbling. This time though the referee pointed to the spot after hesitating briefly. Rafael Van der Vaart's left footed spot kick deceived his Dutch international colleague Tim Krul. 0-1

Half time: Magpies 0 Cockerels 1

48 mins An upfield pass to Leon Best bounced back off him and fell to Demba Ba, facing towards the centre circle. His layoff back to Cheick Tiote saw the midfielder sweep the ball out to the left wing where Jonas Gutierrez lurked. With both Luka Modric and Kyle Walker back-pedalling in front of him, the United winger accelerated past the former and got to the byline before the latter.

With Best dallying for the pulled back pass and Cabaye going to the front post with two defenders, Jonas produced a chipped pass that dropped in space just inside the six yard box towards the far post. Demba Ba arrived to steer a goalbound shot from four yards at Brad Friedel, who rushed across his goal line and connected with the ball in his midriff, but slid well into the goal.  1-1

68 mins Best failed to connect with Krul's punt downfield and Walker pushed the ball over halfway, Scott Parker's first-timed cushion pass giving Modric a yard of space. Seeing Parker continue his run down the centre, the Croatian bisected Tiote and Gabriel Overtan, Parker quickly knocking another pass forward to Adebayor.

He allowed the ball to run over his foot and find Jermain Defoe - negating marker Coloccini in the process - but as Adebayor took up position for a return ball, substitute Defoe instead turned and took advantage of Ryan Taylor's half-tackle by drilling home a low left footer from inside the "D".  1-2

86 mins A stunningly-executed leveller from substitute Shola Ameobi began with Livermore attempting to back into Tiote as Parker's lofted clearance dropped midway in the Spurs half. The impact of the challenge set Tiote back half a stride and resulted in him diverting the ball to the left via his left boot. That took it behind Modric and to Ryan Taylor, whose beautifully-weighted first time pass was seized upon by Shola, goal side of his marker Walker but well onside.

The man who turned 30 days before took a touch to get the ball out from under his feet and as he headed out wide left took a second, steadying touch with his right foot. The third touch was a left-foot thunderbolt, dispatching the ball low and true beyond Friedel first bounce into the bottom corner, just as Walker dived in with his attempted block. The goal celebration was nonchalant. 2-2

Full time: Magpies 2 Cockerels 2

Alan Pardew commented:

"We've got a team who have come here via a different kind of route to Tottenham - they've got world-class players brought in on big salaries and fees; we've got a team from all parts of the world, from the Championship, so it's a good advert for players who have not gone the obvious route.

"They've had to fight. A few of our players are fighting for their careers, fighting to develop, fighting to be top players and that makes us dangerous. I think we're going to be a dangerous side against the top sides as well as everybody else."

"I'm proud of the players and the staff because this has taken a lot of hard work - and from the owners too. They've taken a lot of criticism at this club and sometimes things take time. What we have in place is a sound financial structure, we go forward and hope to achieve one of those seasons where people say we were one of those surprise teams and provided some entertainment here and there. We did today.

"I think we deserved something and it was important for the stadium and the fans that we got something. They could have gone away and thought 'well, perhaps we are a bit short'. But maybe we ain't short. Maybe we'll surprise everybody, maybe we'll surprise ourselves.

"There were times last year when I stood on the sideline and there was a fair distance between us and the top sides but I think we've closed that gap. Can we sustain it? We're still going to need our key players to stay fit but we still have players in the background who can make an impact as well.

"As I stand here unbeaten it's a fantastic achievement by the players and the staff. We've got our targets which we think are achievable for us in the short-term in this first half of the season. We'll stick to those.

"We go on to Wigan and if we're fortunate enough to have a bit of fortune against them and get a result then we will have 19 points so that will be some achievement with us almost halfway to safety. Wigan's a massive game for us and I hope it's a full house, and the players deserve it.

"After clearing those barriers then you can start looking at other things. On the horizon for us is Blackburn in the League Cup as well and that's something that I think will be important to us.

'I am hoping the owner is starting to get a little bit more respect. I don't think we are ever going to win everybody over for Mike and Derek and maybe even myself, but at least you can logically look at it and say we are in a much better position than most Premier League clubs in terms of our financial position.

'We have an owner who doesn't want to go away. He wants to invest in the team, but he wants to do it in the right manner. We are working really hard, my scouting team and my staff, to try to bring in the best players we can on the finances we have.

"Graham Carr, myself and John Carver have assembled what we think is a team that is better than last year's. That's all we are at the minute, and let's hope we can improve from there.

"Shola hit a great goal, but Ben Arfa does things that no one else can do, and he showed that when he came on. He looked sharp and lively, it showed he's near his best, and he's threatening to burst into the team. On that showing, he's got a good chance.

"He (Shola) is somebody that since I have been here has been absolutely brilliant. I looked at him and I thought his reputation didn't coincide with the player he is. Since I have been here, he's fitter, scoring goals, impacts the game, great in the dressing room, and I was so pleased for him that he got that goal."

Shola said:

"It was a great feeling after the game – we came up against a top side, and we battled them all the way. It was a great game to watch – I was itching to get on and be part of it. 

It was one of those that you just try and get on target. Obviously the angle wasn’t great, but I’ve caught it and it’s hit the back of the net before Brad Friedel’s even dived. It’s one of those shots you hit probably one in 50 times. It’s obviously come at a good time for us when we were pushing for the equaliser.

"We have got players who have got a lot of pride in the shirt that they play in, and we have got winners. We have got people who want to win games, who want to do well and who want to prove that they belong here, and that's always going to bode well.

"Having a fit squad now, we have got everyone pushing each other and you know if you are not quite at it, you have got someone else ready to step in. That competition bodes well for us and it's really been fantastic to see this season.

"As a striker, goals breed confidence and that was big for me. All the other guys are off the mark and flying. Being out, you are always a little envious watching them do that, but it's always great for us as strikers. You wish your team-mate all the best and they have done well this season. It's going to be tough for me to get back into that team.

"I'm the other side of 30 now. It's flown by. Every season I come back, it's always a pleasure, but God knows, it flies. To be 30 years old now, as one of the veterans...but I look forward to hopefully a few more years in the Newcastle squad.

"I can't remember that far back (as to whether this was one of his best goals) - my memory isn't the best being 30 and all! But it's certainly up there. It was a great strike and being on my left side, with the angle - and with what it meant as well, keeping that unbeaten run - it was fantastic.

They Said

The darling of the media had a little lilac whine:

"When you are 2-1 up with minutes to go, you are looking to win the game, for sure, so it becomes disappointing. Last year, we came here and we were losing with a couple of minutes to go and we grabbed an equaliser, so you are delighted. But when you are winning so late in the game, you are really looking to make sure you get the three points if you can.

"He (Ledley King) is just a fantastic player but his knee blows up like a balloon every time he plays, so he can't train. He plays on Saturday and he comes out the following Friday and has a little jog around for five minutes and then plays on a Saturday, so really his body is nowhere near fit. It can't be, so he is always open to pulling muscles, getting strains, and that's what has happened.

"Alan Pardew has done a great job and they're a strong team  - the midfield two are very strong. They have the French lad (Cabaye) and Tiote, who is a strong, aggressive, very good player. Jonas Gutierrez is a threat and they are performing well. The front players work their socks off as well and Alan is getting the absolute maximum out of his team so they will be dangerous, that's for sure.

"I don't want to be disrespectful to Newcastle, but if they finish in the top four, Alan Pardew should be made manager of the year, for sure. I'm not saying it's impossible - nothing is impossible. But if you are asking my honest opinion, it's going to be very difficult.

"Liverpool are strong, Arsenal will come back, Tottenham are strong, and Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea, well... but they are going very well and Alan has done a great job here.

Asked by a reporter if he was aware of a fake Jermain Defoe Twitter account claiming that the striker was in the starting XI for this game:

"I didn't see the twit, the tweet, because I can't work a tweeter. I don't know what it is. I haven't got a clue what a tweet is. It's beyond me all this tweeting and Facebooking. I don't understand it as I live in another world to that so I don't know if he's tweeted or not.

"In fact I couldn't care if he did or he didn't really. We used to talk to each other at one time and now we talk on computers and all that. I don't know what the world's coming to really."

"Everyone says how clever a manager is when a sub scores a goal but if I’d been really clever, I’d have started with Jermain and then we might have won the game!

It is a difficult one really because I have got him and Rafa and it is a decision I have to make, really, as to who plays. They are both in good form but I didn't think Rafa looked sharp today. He looked tired, maybe from being away playing for his country. He wasn't as sharp as he normally is. He scored the penalty and then I just decided that Jermain might just give us a little bit more sharpness and he did.

"I suppose he has got a chance to stake a claim for an England place but I honestly don't think about that. If he keeps scoring goals for us I will be delighted."