Kevin Keegan's Newcastle United made their point against Sir Alex Ferguson's Premier League champions at Old Trafford this afternoon.

Newcastle held red-hot favourites Manchester United to a 1-1 draw, with Darren Fletcher cancelling out Obafemi Martins's first-half opener seconds after the restart.

It ended a run of four consecutive defeats at the stadium, capped by last season's 6-0 drubbing.

And the performance of Jonas Gutierrez and Danny Guthrie on their competitive debuts will have given the 2,500 visiting fans plenty to be optimistic about.

Keegan had also handed new signing Fabricio Coloccini his debut just 48 hours after he was unveiled on Tyneside following the completion of his protracted £10m switch to St James's Park, while Shay Given was given the nod ahead of Steve Harper to line up between the posts.

Ex-Man United midfielder Nicky Butt was given the captain's armband in the absence of injured striker and club skipper Michael Owen, while another former Red Devil - Alan Smith - had to be content with a place on the bench.

Ferguson, meanwhile, sprung a pre-match surprise by leaving Coloccini and Gutierrez's Argentine countryman Carlos Tevez out completely, and handing Fraizer Campbell his first start up front.

Keegan's predecessor Sam Allardyce - a close friend of Sir Alex - was in the Old Trafford directors' box to see the televised clash.

With just two minutes on the clock Coloccini conceded a free kick just outside the box when he brought down Campbell, but Ryan Giggs's effort struck Newcastle's wall.

In the fifth minute Obafemi Martins shot wide from distance, and a couple of minutes later - with the game swinging from end to end - Given pulled off a superb point-blank save with his head to deny Campbell, who had got on the end of a Wayne Rooney left-wing cross.

Referee Mike Riley waved away a penalty appeal at the other end seconds later when Gutierrez went down just inside the under a challenge from Nemanja Vidic.

In the 14th minute Given had to be at his best again, pulling out a brilliant double save to deny Rooney and Paul Scholes.

Newcastle themselves won a succession of corners as the midway point in the half approached, and Martins made one count in the 22nd minute when he lost his marker to head a Guthrie flag kick past Edwin van der Saar and spark chaotic celebrations in the away end.

However, two minutes later - and with defender Steven Taylor off the pitch receiving treatment after clashing with Vidic as Martins headed in his goal - Fletcher turned a Giggs ball past Given to level the scores.

Taylor was eventually able to continue, but Ferguson was forced into a change in the 25th minute, with Man United's Geordie midfielder Michael Carrick being replaced by John O'Shea.

Given - who picked the ball out of his net six times at Old Trafford last season - made another fine reaction save in the 37th minute when Habib Beye accidentally directed a Patrice Evra cross at his own goal

And Keegan will have been happy when his team saw out the half and took the 1-1 score into the interval, with Man United having had the bulk of the chances.

Neither manager made a change at the break, though Sir Alex soon had club captain Gary Neville - who had turned out against Newcastle's second-string in a fixture at St James's Park late last season on his way back from a career threatening injury - warming up in front of the travelling fans.

The away end itself was lauding the club's new cult hero Gutierrez - who was causing the home side plenty of problems with his raids down the left flank - with chants of 'Spider-man'.

Given turned a shot from Campbell round his post in the 57th minute as Man United - who had seen title rivals Chelsea beat Portsmouth convincingly at Stamford Bridge earlier in the day - pressed for a second goal.

On the hour mark Martins flashed a long-range effort just wide of van der Saar's goal, and Milner tried his luck from outside the box a couple of minutes later, only for his shot to be deflected over the bar. Martins had a free header from the resulting corner, but he directed it over the bar.

A well-timed tackle from Vidic denied Gutierrez an attempt on goal in the 66th minute as Newcastle continued to ask questions of the double winners.

With a little over 20 minutes left on the clock the only fans who could be heard in Old Trafford were those in black and white, and Keegan soon sent out Jose Enrique, David Edgar and Ryan Donaldson out to warm up.

Vidic gave Keegan's side a scare in the 74th minute when he struck the bar from a corner, and Newcastle's fans looked to be in for a nervous last 15 minutes as the hosts attempted to turn the screw.

Campbell and Wes Brown were booked in the last 10 minutes as Man United let their frustrations get the better of them.

And Newcastle held out to claim a well-deserved point.

MANCHESTER UNITED: van der Saar; Brown, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra; Fletcher, Carrick (O'Shea, 25), Scholes, Giggs (Possebon, 63); Campbell (Da Silva, 80), Rooney. Subs not used: Kuszczak, Neville, Evans, Gibson.

NEWCASTLE UNITED: Given; Beye, Taylor, Coloccini, N'Zogbia; Milner, Guthrie, Butt, Gutierrez; Duff, Martins. Subs not used: Harper, Bassong, Edgar, Geremi, Donaldson, Smith, Enrique.

Goals: Martins 22, Fletcher 24

Bookings: Campbell 78, Brown 81, Rooney 90

Sent off: None

Attendance: 75,512

Referee: Mike Riley (West Yorkshire)