Striker Andy Carroll denied the Teessiders victory with an 82nd-minute equaliser after Scott McDonald's first Boro goal looked like handing them all three points.

The draw left the Magpies four points clear of second-placed West Brom and nine better off than Nottingham Forest in third with a game in hand on both.

Hughton said: "What we have always had this season is we are never out of a game.

"I can think of games where we have lost - at Blackpool, where we were very much still in the game towards the end; Scunthorpe was a game we lost that we were still very much in at the end and had the better chances.

"That's one thing we have in this group of lads, a real desire not to give up, and you just hope among all that, you have a bit of fortune in front of goal."

Newcastle took the lead against the run of play when Peter Lovenkrands ran on to Jonas Gutierrez's superb reverse pass and finished clinically to take his tally for the season to 13.

However, Boro deservedly levelled nine minutes before the break when the impressive Barry Robson combined neatly with McDonald before firing past the helpless Steve Harper.

The Teessiders dominated after the break and got their noses in front with 16 minutes remaining when McDonald turned smartly to prod home Chris Killen's far-post knock-down.

But the Magpies, despite being outplayed for long periods, refused to buckle and got their reward eight minutes from time when Carroll, for once unmarked inside the box, controlled substitute Ryan Taylor's driven cross and steered the ball past goalkeeper Danny Coyne.

Hughton said: "What you saw in Andy today was a player who is in good goalscoring form.

"By our admission and his own, it wasn't one of his better games today and the chance he had was very much a half-chance.

"But this is a lad who is in good goalscoring form and when you are in that type of form, they are the type of goals you score."

Boro boss Gordon Strachan felt his side should have been awarded a penalty by referee Lee Mason for Fabricio Coloccini's clumsy second-minute challenge on McDonald.

He said: "We should have had a penalty in the first two minutes, and the referee just to make it up, allowed us to get away with a free-kick 30 seconds after it.

"If you are going to make a decision, referee, don't try to even it up. It's not right, we don't want that.

"Be brave and stand by your decisions."

Meanwhile, Hughton revealed defender Mike Williamson missed the game after breaking a bone in his hand while training at home.