Michael Owen scored in front of Fabio Capello as Newcastle staged a second-half revival to earn a 1-1 draw with Birmingham at St Andrews.
The Magpies had lost four games on the trot heading into the clash and looked devoid of confidence as the hosts bossed the opening stages.
James McFadden flashed a 20-yard drive wide, Fabrice Muamba shot over the crossbar and Mikael Forssell stabbed a low shot narrowly wide of Steve Harper's upright in a lively start.
Owen fired over from 20 yards on 24 minutes - but Blues went ahead on 33 when McFadden collected David Murphy's cross and outmuscled Abdoulaye Faye before steering a left-footed strike home for his fourth Birmingham goal.
The visitors, who last won in the league on December 15, nearly grabbed an equaliser on the stroke of half-time but Maik Taylor was alert to save Stephen Kelly's miscued back-header.
Kevin Keegan is a man under pressure but he rallied his troops during the break, as they emerged for the second half with real fire in their bellies.
Forssell's close-range shot was bravely blocked by Harper on 46 but after that the Toon dominated proceedings, with Owen going close on 50 when his goalbound shot was deflected wide of the upright by Taylor.
Keegan had plumped for a bold 4-3-3 formation and it paid off on 56 as Obafemi Martins and Owen, also playing with Mark Viduka in attack, combined tenaciously to set up the England striker, who slotted home from close range to give the Magpies some reward for their improved display.
McFadden's 20-yard drive was saved by Harper in a rare Blues attack, but Newcastle finished strongly with Taylor keeping out Jose Enrique's 30-yard piledriver and Martins' low strike to ensure Blues at least got a point.
The draw moves Keegan's troops four points clear of 18th-placed Bolton, who are only two points behind Birmingham with a game in hand.
Afterwards, McFadden revealed his frustration that Birmingham did not make more of their first half dominance.
He said: "We were by far the best team in the first half. They were the better team in the second half but if we take our chances it's a different game.
"They've done well to come back into it and in the end we've done well to hang on."
McFadden also admitted he did not think his goal would stand.
"I thought I was offside," he added on Setanta Sports. "But I've cut across the front of the defender and managed to put it away."
Blues boss Alex McLeish said: "If we'd won tonight, it wouldn't have meant we'd be safe and if we'd lost it wouldn't have meant we'd be relegated.
"Newcastle deserved it with their second-half performance and we deserved to be leading at half-time, it was the proverbial game of two halves."
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