Owen double not enough

Newcastle - Michael Owen scored twice for Newcastle but the Magpies were still held to a 2-2 draw at home to Stoke City at St James' Park on Saturday.

Abdoulaye Faye's injury-time leveller sealed a point for Stoke, who had to come from 2-0 down following Owen's first-half double to secure a draw that left them four points clear of the relegation zone.

Owen gave Newcastle an eighth-minute lead when played in by Jonas Gutierrez and made it 2-0 in the 24th minute when he turned in Obafemi Martins's cross.

But Stoke, still to enjoy an away league win this season, pulled a goal back on the hour mark through Mamady Sidine before Faye's late equaliser left Newcastle just a point above the bottom three.

Argentina winger Gutierrez created Owen's opener with a superb pass before the England striker then beat Thomas Sorensen with a low finish for his first Newcastle goal since mid-November.

Gutierrez might have doubled Newcastle's lead when his shot was blocked but, minutes later, former Liverpool and Real Madrid striker Owen did make it 2-0.

Geremi found Martins and his cross left Owen with the simplest of close-range strikes.

Stoke were a much-improved side in the second-half.

They nearly pulled a goal back soon after the interval with only a fine last-ditch tackle from Steven Taylor denying Richard Cresswell when the striker was poised to shoot.

Manager Tony Pulis then took off long-throw expert Rory Delap and replaced him with Jamaican striker Ricardo Fuller.

The forward then had a key role in making it 2-1, beating Fabricio Coloccini before squaring the ball to Sidibe, who made no mistake with the simple tap-in.

Stoke, with Fuller to the fore, piled on the pressure in search of an equaliser and were rewarded when former Newcastle midfielder Faye got on the end of a Danny Higginbotham header in stoppage time.