Certain times stick in the mind when the act of watching this lot becomes almost melodramatic; tonight at around 6.50pm being one of them.

Traipsing to the end of the country to endure more technological torture, yet another penalty gifted and yet another goal conceded, peering through the rain in the vain hope of seeing something positive.

There may have been one similar instance in this very spot last March, had fans been admitted to witness that gutless 0-3 surrender. This felt like a moment of almost timeless misery: the end of everything rather than the start of something - all the riches in the world of no consequence.

The darkest hour is right before the dawn apparently though; and that proved to be the case as a rare shot on target changed the narrative and lifted the collective mood considerably.

Until that point, the main interest from a Newcastle perspective came off the field; manager-elect Eddie Howe present to see first hand just what he was about to let himself in for. He'd have been forgiven for leaving at half time.

Hayden's first goal of the season cancelled out a VAR-induced first half penalty conversion by the hosts, but despite a terrible display in the opening period, the deficit remained just one goal at the interval.

And that would crucial as Hayden cancelled out that deficit and a moribund Magpies side began to revive - even looking set to pull off an improbable first victory of the season at the eleventh time of asking.

Three points would elude the visitors though, despite Brighton ending up a man short when their goalkeeper was dismissed after another VAR verdict.

Starting the game bottom of the table after Norwich City won at Brentford earlier in the day, United looked nervous against an Albion side themselves without a win in five league outings.

In charge of the side for a third time, interim coach Graeme Jones restoring Jacob Murphy, Jonjo Shelvey and Miguel Almiron to the side at the expense of Javier Manquillo, Sean Longstaff and Ryan Fraser respectively.

Memories of our solitary success here returend when a tussle in our area involving Ciaran Clark ended with Brighton converting a penalty past Karl Darlow - Leandro Trossard emulating Glenn Murray back in February 2017.

In that pre-technology era it was match referee Bobby Madley who penalised Clark, but here it was VAR watcher Craig Pawson who invited whistler David Coote to view a pitchside monitor and acknowledge the merest of contacts on Trossard by Clark. You know what happens next.

Having made it to half-time just a goal down, United emerged after the break with an unchanged line-up but began to exhibit some much-overdue appetite for the fight - which paid dividends after 66 minutes.

Matt Ritchie's left wing centre to the back post was nodded back across goal by Clark and Hayden hooked the ball past Robert Sanchez -  a goal that raised a smile from Howe up in the posh seats.

From that moment on, the Magpies looked the most likely winners, without creating many clear openings; the Seagulls seemingly losing their way and the home crowd becoming increasingly restless.

In added time, Callum Wilson looked all set to gain that elusive win after substitute Joelinton had sent him clear of the last defender. United's top scorer rounded Sanchez outside the box and had clear sight of the unguarded Brighton net - only to be sent sprawling by a blatant trip by the 'keeper.

Coote incredibly played on and the game was only belatedly halted with play at the other end of the field, when Pawson once again summoned the referee to that pitchside monitor.

The inevitable red card followed and having already used their three permitted replacements, Brighton were forced to put defender Lewis Dunk between the sticks as United gained a free-kick 30 yards out.

Only Jonjo Shelvey will know why he then wafted a speculative ball harmlessly to the far side of the area rather than have a shot or set a colleague up to test Dunk.

Albion's emergency custodian would end the game having had nothing to do, after Allan Saint-Maximin smashed a wayward cross behind the goal and Matt Ritchie delivered a rotten corner in the final seconds of the game.

Although massively welcome, a win would have been thoroughly undeserved given the dreadful opening, when we looked completely dispirited and a beaten side with the game goalless.

Howe can be in no doubt about the task that lies ahead after watching that, but if nothing else there was rather more intent and purpose evident after the restart, even if too many individual performances were sub-standard.

In addition to addressing the evident issues in defending and bringing the ball out from the back, rehabilitating Joe Willock is a priority for the incoming boss - one of last season's successes languishing on the bench after having made no impact whatsoever this season as yet. 

Seeking solace in statistics, this Newcastle team may now have an unwanted place in club history, but they aren't quite adrift yet (and remain above managerless Norwich on goal difference).

Taking five points from a possible 33 to date leaves the 2021 vintage Magpies a solitary point behind their tally at the same point in 2018/19 - a season which ended with them finishing thirteenth.

Whether Howe will prove to be more suitable for the task in hand than Unai Emery remains to be seen, but if nothing else we appear to be actually trying to alter our own destiny rather than relying on fate and the failings of others.

Three out of our next four games come at home, with Brentford, Norwich and Burnley all heading to Gallowgate. We'll know a lot more in a month after those - but free agent "Ed Adair" could have arrived with the new owners, or shortly after and be further down the road of trying to stop the rot here.

The lesson of the last relegation is that every second counts and had Rafa been in post even one game earlier in March 2016 - ironically the visit of Bournemouth to SJP - then we could have stayed up.

If nothing else though, we clawed points from Palace and Brighton under Jones that could be priceless. For all his warm words (and attempts to distance himself from Steve Bruce) quite where the interim boss fits into the new set-up remains a pertinent but as yet unanswered question. 

Biffa