Still no victory for Kevin Keegan, still the spectre of relegation from the Barclays Premier League looms. At least Newcastle United’s limp run of four successive defeats came to a halt as they grittily recovered from a 1-0 half-time deficit to draw with Birmingham City, their fellow strugglers, at St Andrew’s last night.

Still, though, the statistics make grim reading for Newcastle’s long-suffering supporters. Their club have failed to win in nine attempts in the league and FA Cup since Keegan replaced Sam Allardyce as manager in a blaze of glory and nostalgia in January. With eight clubs separated by only nine points near the bottom of the table, the fight to avoid the drop is congested and confusing.

The picture is no clearer for Birmingham — though, with one point, they also moved up a place, to sixteenth — and the nerves are just as frayed in the Midlands as they are on Tyneside. Alex McLeish, their manager, has had similarly little success since he arrived at the club in November, albeit to less fanfare, and the weeks ahead will be fraught for him as well.

With both sides desperate for victory, desperation rules. Birmingham held sway in the first half, with James McFadden guiding them in front after 33 minutes, but Newcastle retaliated after the interval and Michael Owen claimed a deserved equaliser in the 56th minute.

At least Keegan and McLeish could see a chink of light at the end of previously pitch black tunnels. “I said to the players at half-time that if we could not show more creativity, then I’d picked the wrong side,” Keegan said. “The second half was more like it. We showed much more determination and character.”

McLeish could only ponder what might have been. “Had we got the second goal it might have given us a bit of breathing space,” he said. “But with all the internationals Newcastle have, you expect them to come back at you. Nothing is decided by tonight but if we keep picking up points, then ones like this will be gold dust.”

Keegan is nothing if not brave, perhaps even foolish, which might explain why he gambled with three forwards — Owen, Mark Viduka and Obafemi Martins — for last night’s game. It was the first time that Viduka and Martins had started under Keegan.

Yet as the trio got to know each other — as well as learnt how to keep out of each other’s way — Mikael Forssell and McFadden, the Birmingham strikers, showed them how to do it. Fabrice Muamba also looked dangerous as he strode forward from midfield into an increasingly agitated Newcastle defence. After a brief interlude, when a home fan ran on to the pitch and was bundled away by stewards, normal service was resumed. Newcastle were under the cosh and displaying few signs of the improvement that Keegan’s second coming was supposed to have heralded.

Owen did break free, just once, but Fabio Capello, the watching England manager, will not have been too impressed as the ball flew high into the Tilton Road End from Owen’s 20-yard effort. Maik Taylor, the home goalkeeper, did not have to move a muscle.

Martin Taylor, his namesake, did not play. He was completing a three-match suspension after being sent off in the incident that led to Eduardo da Silva, the Arsenal striker, breaking a leg, but will make his comeback for the reserve team against Tottenham Hotspur at Solihull Moors tonight.

Taylor, a central defender, was not initially missed. Newcastle, even with their three-pronged attack, produced little of note. Instead Birmingham pushed up much as they pleased and, almost inevitably, took the lead in the 33rd minute.

David Murphy clipped a shrewd pass into the area from the left and Abdoulaye Faye fell in a heap. McFadden jinked away and caressed the ball past Steve Harper. Martins held out his hands in disgust in the centre circle, the Newcastle fans were a picture of misery.

Gradually, though, Newcastle began to edge their way into contention. With Owen dropping deeper to find space, the front line belatedly began to function as a unit. Owen should have levelled when, having wriggled through the Birmingham defence, he shot against the chest of Taylor. The Owen of old would have buried it.

The Owen of old did reappear in the 56th minute, after Martins’ fierce drive had been beaten away by the diving Taylor. Three home defenders could have reacted more quickly but Owen darted in between them to toe poke the ball past Taylor. Capello would have liked that.

“There was a buzz in the dressing-room afterwards,” Keegan said. “The players knew they had done well in the second half.”

On their own, decent first or second-half performances are insufficient. If Newcastle are to survive, only the full 90 minutes — the full package — will be good enough.

Birmingham City (4-4-2): Maik Taylor — S Kelly, R Jaidi, L Ridgewell, D Murphy — S Larsson (sub: S Parnaby, 46min), F Muamba, D Johnson, G McSheffrey — M Forssell (sub: C Jerome, 71), J McFadden (sub: M Zarate, 86). Substitutes not used: C Doyle, M Nafti. Booked: Kelly.

Newcastle United (4-3-3): S Harper — H Beye, S Taylor, A Faye, J Enrique — Gérémi, N Butt, J Barton — M Owen, M Viduka, O Martins (sub: C N’Zogbia, 80). Substitutes not used: F Forster, Caçapa, A Smith, A Carroll. Booked: Gérémi, Taylor.

Referee: H Webb.