Owing to Arsenal’s struggles in recent weeks, finishing as best of the rest behind runaway leaders Liverpool was now a very real prospect for Newcastle.
They didn’t particularly start like a side incentivised – but nor did Brighton, who knew a victory would boost their hopes of an eighth-placed finish.
It was the visitors who had the only real sightings of goal early on, with a Harvey Barnes snapshot being turned away for a corner with relative ease by Bart Verburggen, before Joe Willock strode clear down the left and arrowed an effort inches over the bar.
The Magpies were made to rue missing those half-chances shortly before the half-hour mark, and it was a familiar face who sank them.
Former Magpie Yankuba Minteh came back to haunt Eddie Howe’s side when he stepped into the box and curled a lovely left-footed shot into the far corner.
Despite the setback, Howe’s men came out after HT with a renewed belief that they could get back into the game.
That belief was almost given a boost not long after the restart, when the already-booked Mats Wieffer lunged into a challenge and caught Sandro Tonali, but referee Craig Pawson remained unmoved.
Newcastle’s poor luck only continued, with Anthony Gordon’s first contact after coming off the bench seeing him tripped by Tariq Lamptey for a penalty.
However, VAR confirmed that the initial contact was outside the area, and the initial decision was overturned.
And the exact same outcome was produced some time later, when referee Pawson penalised Jan Paul van Hecke for seemingly bringing down Joe Willock in the box. Once again though, a VAR review spared Brighton.
Newcastle weren’t deterred and kept their foot to the floor in pursuit of a late leveller, and it was a case of third time lucky, as Yasin Ayari blocked Fabian Schär’s free-kick with an outstretched arm.
Despite yet another lengthy VAR check, this one was given, and Alexander Isak stepped forward to find the bottom corner from the spot.
Brighton’s Diego Gómez and Newcastle’s Callum Wilson both spurned chances to win the game in stoppage time, but in the end the pair were forced to settle for a point apiece, which did little to boost their respective European hopes.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Yankuba Minteh (Brighton & Hove Albion)