The Teessiders fought out a 0-0 draw with their Tyneside rivals on a cold, foggy afternoon as they bounced back from last weekend's 3-1 home defeat by Bolton.

Boro have now won just one of their last six Barclays Premier League games at the Riverside Stadium, but Southgate was in a positive mood after the final whistle.

He said: "It was very much a point gained, a hard-earned point, but one we certainly deserved.

"We had the majority of the game, certainly in the second half - it was pretty much one-way traffic for long periods of the second half.

"We allowed them a few breaks and they had a chance near the end which we shouldn't have allowed them to have, but I am very pleased with how we played.

"Sometimes you draw a game and you are disappointed with the performance, but I thought bar the finishing touch, we had pretty much everything today.

"We defended solidly, passed the ball well, created not clear-cut chances, but we looked a threat all the time.

"I am pleased with how we played."

Newcastle came closest to winning the game when striker Obafemi Martins hit the bar with a 35th-minute shot on the turn, and substitute Mark Viduka, on his return from a long lay-off with an Achilles injury, might have damaged his reputation further with his former club's fans had he converted an injury-time volley.

However, but for a fine 75th minute save by Shay Given to deny, of all people, full-back Justin Hoyte, the Teessiders might have emerged victorious.

Both the Irishman and opposite number Ross Turnbull had only one save of note to make, but Boro will feel the more disappointed not to have taken advantage of the chances they created.

Record signing Afonso Alves was the main culprit, passing up a series of opportunities, including a 40th minute free header, as the visitors collected a second successive clean sheet.

Southgate admitted his heart was in his mouth when former team-mate Viduka, who was booed roundly by the home fans among a crowd of 32,160, went for goal at the end.

He said: "You know what he is capable of. I am not too impressed with him - he has not played all year and then he comes and plays against us. I thought he was supposed to be our mate.

"He is a quality player and he has to accept he is going to get the sort of reception he got.

"We loved working with him here, he was terrific for us. I am sure he will poke his head in and we will have a drink before he goes."

But if Southgate was pleased enough with a point, the Magpies headed for home the happier after successive 0-0 draws away from St James' Park.

Manager Joe Kinnear, who was yesterday handed the reins until the end of the season, left the post-match press conference to number two Chris Hughton.

Hughton said: "On the back of last week, what we wanted to do was keep a clean sheet.

"We felt we had enough in the team to score us a goal here, and as the game opened up in the second half, I genuinely feel, although it could have gone either way, we got into the better areas and if our final ball had been a little bit better, we could have gone on and taken the three points.

"That would be the only disappointing factor, but to come here and get a draw is a good result."

Hughton admitted Martins had been unhappy to be replaced by Viduka with 25 minutes remaining after he had headed straight down the tunnel.

But he added: "You want nobody to be happy to be taken off, but any issues that way are always dealt with in-house, and that's always the correct way to approach it, always."