Kevin Keegan questioned the decision to chalk off Michael Owen's early 'goal' after Newcastle could only draw 1-1 at home to Middlesbrough.Although the woodwork saved the Magpies at the death on Sunday, they were left to reflect on a day of missed opportunities as their wait for a Premier League win stretched to eight matches.

They took the lead on the hour through Owen's 60th-minute glancing header, his first league goal since October 7 and his side's first in 455 minutes.

However, that might have proved the clincher had referee Mike Dean not mysteriously ruled out Owen's fourth-minute effort for a foul on Mark Schwarzer which nobody else spotted.

Owen later missed a glorious opportunity to double his tally, but with Shay Given having pulled off good saves to deny Stewart Downing, Gary O'Neil and David Wheater, Robert Huth looped an 87th-minute header over him to snatch a point with the Magpies waiting in vain for an offside flag.

Keegan said: "I thought we did enough to win here. I couldn't see anything wrong at all with the first goal that Michael got. Schwarzer just dropped it.

"But then we did get a good goal from a great delivery and Michael did what he does best.

"You would prefer us to be able to close the game down but we were not able to."

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