It was Blues' turn to suffer last minute heartache this week as Habib Feye's late goal sent Blues home without any reward from a spirited performance at St. James Park.

Cameron Jerome sent Blues into the lead early in the first half before Obefami Martin's controversial penalty drew the home side level.

Just as Blues thought they had done enough to take a point home, Feye struck the body blow to cruelly take a deserved point away from the boys in royal blue.

Alex McCleish was forced to make one change to the side with Mat Sadler making his first Premiership start of the season at the expense of Johan Djourou.

The game kicked off under a sleet shower with the threat of snow disappearing.
Even the Newcastle owner was forced to wear a coat over his Alan Smith shirt!

In the second minute former Blues man Nicky Butt put his mark on the game with a late challenge on Seb Larsson that was deemed a free-kick by Mr Styles.

A couple of minutes later Larsson was bombing down the other wing but this time it was Stephen Taylor who stopped him in his tracks on the edge of the area.

Blues continued their good form under the new manager when Jerome coolly fired them into the lead in the ninth minute.

It was route one stuff with Jerome latching onto Rafael Schmitz's long punt forward before riding David Rozehnal's sliding challenge, rounding Shay Given and slotting the ball home.

The Newcastle fans were stunned and their team tried to rally back again but the Blues defence stood firm.

In the 13th minute Maik Taylor was called into action to easily collect James Milner's curling cross into the box.

Two minutes later Jerome was racing towards goal again but this time the Newcastle defence closed him down quickly and his attempted pass to Larsson was blocked and the danger was over.

In the 18th minute there were half-hearted appeals for a penalty when Liam Ridgewell and Alan Smith wrestled in the area but thankfully common sense prevailed as the referee waved play on.

Two minutes later Blues fans' hearts were in their mouths when Butt headed off the post.

Fortunately the whistle had already gone following Geremi's corner after Fabrice Muamba was fouled by Obafemi Martins.

Midway through the half Newcastle won another corner when Ridgewell deflected Geremi's shot for a corner.

In the 27th minute Taylor kept Blues in the game with an amazing point blank save from Martins.

It looked odds-on for the Newcastle striker to score but Taylor stuck out a hand to block his volley from Charles N'Zogbia's curling free-kick.

Seconds later the home side were still pressing but Milner failed to make it pay as he dragged his shot wide of Taylor's left hand post.

Taylor was in fine form and making things look easy with a comfortable take from Rozehnal's inswinging shot that skidded up off the surface.

It was all square in the 37th minute when Martins drew Newcastle level from the penalty spot.

It was a somewhat controversial decision from referee Rob Styles, with Sadler first winning the ball but catching the scorer with his trailing leg.

The Blues number one was desperately unlucky with the penalty as he guessed correctly and got both hands to the spot kick but failed to stop it going in off the inside of the post.

Jerome should have put Blues back in front two minutes later when Daniel de Ridder's pass found the lone striker in the box.

Unfortunately after a superb first touch, he failed to get enough power on his strike on goal and Given saved easily.

Blues were really under the cosh now with Milner agonisingly close on two occasions in the space of seconds.

The first came from N'Zogbia's free-kick with the Blues defence ball watching as he strolled in to hit a poor shot that Taylor tipped over the bar.

The Newcastle corner was cleared to Milner who struck a sweet shot that thankfully thudded off the post and away to safety.

Blues managed to hold out to half time without conceding another goal as they regrouped and prepared for the second half.

Half-time Newcastle 1 Blues 1

Blues started the second half brightly and surprisingly it was Muamba with the first shot of the half with a rasping shot just wide from 20 yards.

The visitors kept up the momentum and could quite easily have taken the lead through Larsson.

After playing a one-two with Jerome, he managed to steer his shot just a yard wide of the post.

In the 55th it was Jerome playing a one-two with McSheffrey before firing the ball across the face of goal. Rozehnal was first to react volleying the ball out for a corner.

The inswinging corner was almost sent goalbound by Ridgewell but the home side cleared the danger.

The Blues centre-half stopped up front and McSheffrey's cross was met with a firm header by the Blues captain that just missed the target.

Moments later Blues were on the back foot with Milner cutting inside but curling his shot just wide of Taylor's left hand post.

McLeish made a bold move replacing McSheffrey with top scorer Olivier Kapo in the 62nd minute.

Four minutes later N'Zogbia put a teasing cross right across the face of goal but thankfully it bounced across to Martins who failed to make the advantage count.

The home side were complaining when Larsson and Jerome both challenged Rozehnal leaving the Newcastle player on the floor, before rolling the ball out of play for him to receive treatment.

There was another change for the home side with Emre replacing Geremi in the 72nd minute.

Minutes later Jerome almost latched onto another long punt forward from Taylor but after a mix-up between Steven Taylor and Rozehnal, keeper Given managed to react quickest and snuffed out the danger.

In the 76th minute Martins tried his luck with a snap shot that was just clear of the bar.

A minute later Mikael Forssell replaced De Ridder with the Finn leading the line on his own and they tried to safeguard their position.

In the 78th minute Joey Barton was somewhat fortunate when Mr Styles was rather lenient when he caught Jerome in full flight down the left wing.

Blues maintained the pressure and Jerome headed wide from Kapo's inswinging corner.

Seb Larsson was booked for protesting what appeared to be a legal challenge by Ridgewell on Martins.

The Swede continued his protestations as Newcastle swung the free-kick over to Viduka who headed wide.

In the 84th minute Martins turned Kelly on the edge of the box and unleashed a curling shot and Taylor made sure it was not sneaking in at the far post by palming it away from goal.

In the 86th minute Smith was fortunate not to be cautioned for a nastly tackle from behind on Nafti.

In the 89th minute there were more hopeful appeals for a penalty when Jerome blocked Emre's free-kick with his hand on the edge of the box.

The home side will have felt justice was done just on the stroke of 90 minutes when Faye scored Newcastle's winner.

It was a cruel blow for Blues when Emre's corner was somehow steered home by Faye at the near post to give the home side a late advantage.

Sam Allardyce made one final change replacing Martins with Jose Enrique in injury time.

Despite a much-improved second half, Blues came away with no points.

McLeish will have been extremely disappointed with no reward from such an encouraging performance as his side surely deserved at least a share of the spoils.

Full time: Newcastle 2 Blues 1

Blues: Maik Taylor, Stephen Kelly, Matt Sadler, Rafael Schmitz, Liam Ridgewell, Seb Larsson, Fabrice Muamba, Mehdi Nafti, Gary McSheffrey(62, Olivier Kapo), Daniel De Ridder (77, Mikael Forssell), Cameron Jerome
Goals: Jerome (9)
Booked: Nafti (38), Seb Larsson (80)

Newcastle United: Shay Given, Habid Beye, 27 Steven Taylor, David Rozehnal, Charles N'Zogbia, James Milner, Joey Barton, Nicky Butt (31, Mark Viduka), Geremi (72, Emre), Obafemi Martins, Alan Smith
Goals: Obafemi Martins (37,pen), Habib Feye (90)
Booked: Joey Barton (78)

Attendance: 49,948