Defiant Souness vows to battle on

Newcastle 2 Middlesbrough 2

Clark’s first goal for his home-town club in almost nine years claimed a point for the Magpies just when it looked as though substitute Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink had won it with an 87th-minute strike.

Souness was relieved, despite the boos which greeted the final whistle, and was delighted with what remains of his squad amid an injury crisis which yesterday robbed him of Michael Owen, Emre, Scott Parker, Kieron Dyer, Steven Taylor and Stephen Carr with Lee Bowyer suspended.