An injury to Dennis Mortimer, Aston Villa’s £175,000 signing from Coventry City, in only his fourth game for Villa, not only put a dampener on the carnival atmosphere at Villa Park but highlighted an old problem for his manager Ron Saunders.

For Mortimer, who was forced to leave the field in the 16th minute after a collision with Newcastle’s Malcolm Macdonald, stayed off for the rest of the match.

His departure heralded a Newcastle revival and emphasised Villa’s lack of depth and strength in midfield.

Said Saunders after the game: “It’s too early yet to say how long Dennis will be out, he has damaged ligaments in his right leg and it is obviously very painful.

“When he went off two things happened. First we lost our rhythm and then Newcastle equalised.

“We never really regained our rhythm and we lost control of the midfield. It was only in the last 20 minutes of the game when we moved Frank Carrodus into the middle that we started to control things again.”

Villa started brightly taking the lead is the sixth minute after Newcastle goalkeeper Mick Mahoney turned a cross by Frank Carrodus into his own goal under pressure from Andy Gray.

But while Mortimer, playing in only his fourth game for Villa, was receiving treatment on his injured leg, Newcastle hit the equaliser.

Alan Cowling was perfectly placed to head home a floated free kick by Tommy Cassidy in the 17th minute.

Villa rallied well but despite the efforts of John Deehan who made an impressive comeback, and the brilliant attacking runs of John Gidman, it was Newcastle who took the initiative.

Following the example of Tommy Craig’s cool approach in midfield they seemed happy to settle for a point and the pressure was put on Villa to break their tight defence.

And in the 61st minute Villa seemed to have done just that but a shot by Deehan which had entered the net was disallowed for offside.

As hard running and fierce tackling took over from poise and skill Stewart Barrowclough, who had come on as substitute for Gowling, was booked for a bad tackle on Chico Hamilton and Villa finished having to share the spoils.