The 56-year-old received a hero's welcome as he headed for the dug-out before kick-off.

But 90 frustrating minutes later he headed back to the dressing room to sympathetic applause rather than the boos which might have greeted a similar result a week or so ago with the visitors having deservedly negotiated a tricky afternoon.

It took a fine late save from Shay Given to prevent substitute Jlloyd Samuel from ruining Keegan's day all together after Gary Megson's men had weathered a concerted, if blunt, second-half assault.

Keegan said: "It was frustrating if you look at the result, 0-0, and look at the game.

"We certainly didn't play as well as we can or I thought we would, but there are a lot of reasons for that, not least that these players played a game (against Stoke) last Wednesday with 10 men for 60 minutes and were terrific.

"We just looked a bit tired today. That's my first excuse and it's an honest one, that was one of the problems.

"You hoped that wouldn't be the case, or you hoped the tremendous atmosphere and the lift before the game and everything that went on - they were walking into a stadium that probably for the way they have played in the last few weeks, they didn't deserve to have.

"It was an atmosphere they wouldn't normally get and you hoped that would drive them on a little bit.

"But we stuck together, they worked hard. Surprisingly for a team of mine, you might say, we defended well - I give (coach) Nigel Pearson and the staff all the credit for that.

"We limited them to one opportunity near the end, which brought a great save from Shay Given, but there were a lot of good things about it as well.

"They are the minuses. We didn't play well, we didn't deserve to win, but we certainly didn't deserve to lose and a draw was a fair result."

Keegan's return to St James' Park, where he had won his first game as both a player and a manager in his two previous spells, has whipped the city into a frenzy, and it was all he could do to concentrate on what was a hugely important game in its own right after a run of four successive Barclays Premier League defeats.

Providing the entertainment he has set as his mission was in short supply, but that is something he hopes to address during the remaining days of the winter transfer window.

However, he admitted that process was yet to get off the ground, while he has still to speak to former striker Alan Shearer about a possible role with the club.

Keegan said: "I haven't spoken to anyone about anything other than the match today.

"I have spoken to a couple of agents who have rung about players.

"It's really from now on that things like that have got to happen because the priority has been this match and trying to get a result, which we sort of half got with a 0-0."

Megson left St James' admitting a draw had probably been a fair result, and in little doubt that Keegan would inspire the Magpies on to bigger things.

Asked if he expects him to turn things around, he said: "Yes, but not short term, because he has got to work with the same players.

"But I am sure that the ambition of the place and the fact that I don't think Kevin would have come here unless he had got some kind of guarantee of the type of player he is going to go for.

"Short term, he has got to get a bit of an improvement, but long term, I am sure he will be up there with the big boys again."

ends