FOG ON THE TYNE is traditional and so is smog on the Tees. It descended yesterday; a thin cloud lingering on the pitch like dry ice left on stage after the finale of a magician’s act. Sadly, nothing else about this game brought conjuring or showmanship to mind. It was not a bad match, just a boring one, 90 minutes which neutrals will quickly lose in the mists of their memories. Partisans were happier. “Very much a point earned, one that was hard-earned but well deserved,” said Gareth Southgate.

“What we wanted to do was keep a clean sheet and it was satisfying,” added Chris Hughton, Joe Kinnear’s assistant. As with many derbies the priority was not to lose and the announcement of Sunderland’s defeat allowed both sets of supporters at the Riverside to unite in caustic schadenfreude.

What was happening outside the field of play always seemed more interesting than the action. Kinnear, confirmed as Newcastle manager until the end of the season, got his first hymn of approval from the Toon Army. Their rendition of “Joe Kinnear’s Black and White Army” felt significant. Another talking point was Obafemi Martins marching straight for the dressing room when he was substituted by Mark Viduka, whining to himself all the way down the tunnel. “You don’t want any player to be happy being taken off, so Oba’s okay. Any issues will be dealt with in-house,” Hughton said.

Martins may have been right to think that Michael Owen and not he, should have been sacrificed, but he had hardly played well enough to make Kinnear’s decision a major injustice. There was no need to tear off his armband and hurl it on the grass before stomping past the dug outs like a small child denied his milk and biscuits.

Arsenal are the next visitors to the Riverside and can be expected to adopt a different approach to Newcastle, whose priority was building on the defensive performance which secured another goalless draw against Chelsea last week. The rationale for replacing Martins was part of that: Kinnear felt of his three centre forwards, Viduka and Owen were the pair who would provide more tactical discipline and hold possession better.

Viduka, when he volleyed Jonas Gutierrez’s cutback straight at Ross Turnbull, had the game’s best scoring opportunity and it arrived in the 92nd minute. There were few attacking moments to celebrate but that did not mean there was no good football to savour.

The pairings of Nicky Butt and Danny Guthrie, and Julio Arca and Didier Digard, gave fine exhibitions of central midfield play, the measured authority of Arca’s passing and Guthrie’s sense of adventure a particular delight. Some of the defending was even better. Sebastien Bassong, Newcastle’s unheralded young Frenchman, largely quelled Afonso Alves, despite an improved performance from the forward. David Wheater, Boro’s local hero, was at his upright best, continually leading Owen and Martins away from mischief like a steadfast village policeman.

Martins had the first chance of the game but it was no fault of Wheater’s. The ball arrived at the striker after Guthrie’s shot deflected into his path. Martins skimmed the bar after turning to shoot on the volley. Alves headed a Stewart Downing cross over when he could have left the ball to Jeremie Aliadiere, and the Brazilian went close with a shot in the second half after a buccaneering dribble.

Middlesbrough did more to try and win, especially in the final half-hour when Southgate brought on Mido and put the Egyptian up front with Alves and Tuncay, spreading his trio of giant forwards across the line like three telegraph poles. Aliadiere met a corner with a back-header which Habib Beye had to clear off the line and, after Tuncay wasted a free kick in a great position, Alves finally beat Shay Given only to find his strike partner had run offside.

Newcastle were playing on the break and Hughton argued they had the more penetrating attacks. Viduka was barracked loudly by home supporters during his warm up but came close to silencing them when Owen nodded the ball into his path and he smacked a meaty shot from close range which Emmanuel Pogatetz did well to block.

“I’m not too impressed with Mark. He hasn’t played all year and suddenly he’s fit to face us,” joked Southgate. “We thought he was our mate.”

MIDDLESBROUGH: Turnbull 7, Hoyte 6, Wheater 8, Pogatetz 7, Taylor 7, Aliadiere 5 (Mido 77min), Digard 6, Arca 7, Downing 6, Alves 6, Tuncay 7

NEWCASTLE: Given 7, Enrique 6, Beye 7, Bassong 8, Coloccini 7, N’Zogbia 5, Guthrie 7, Butt 6, Gutierrez 6, Owen 5, Martins 6 (Viduka 65min)