But Owen, playing behind Viduka and Martins, got his reward on the stroke of half-time.
Kenny Dalglish recalled Lubomir Moravcik to the side in the place of the injured Mark Viduka.
This time Van der Sar got the better of Viduka, spreading himself to make a good save.
BBC: SPORT | Football | Premiership | Man Utd 1-1 Middlesbrough
Beye set up Mark Viduka, who completed a confident win for Kevin Keegan's men with a sure-footed second-half strike.
The visitors were also unlucky not to earn a penalty after Mark Viduka appeared to be tripped by Scimeca.
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Viduka was involved twice as Middlesbrough pushed forward in search of an equaliser.
Julio Arca's left-foot drive clipped the outside of a post and then Damien Delaney brilliantly made a block to deny Viduka.
He also curled a shot just off target after 49 minutes - before Viduka had Middlesbrough's best chance two minutes later.
Newcastle were looking irresistible and it all seemed incredibly easy as Beye picked out Viduka, who rifled the ball into the left-hand corner.
But it was Boro who initially threatened in the second period when Viduka bamboozled Brown allowing the Australian a clear sight of goal.
BBC: SPORT | Football | Premiership | Man Utd 1-1 Middlesbrough
And when Viduka made it 3-1 with an angled drive across Niemi within two minutes of the restart, Fulham's hopes were all but gone.
BBC: SPORT | Football | Premiership | Middlesbrough 3-1 Fulham
The Sunday Express takes it a step further, insisting that Mark Viduka, Alan Smith, Harry Kewell and Paul Robinson are all on the verge of quitting.
Villa keeper Friedel almost let Duff's deflected shot slip in and Cuellar smuggled Viduka's goal-bound shot off the line as Newcastle pressed for an early breakthrough.
Ashley Cole was adjudged to have fouled Viduka and Harte slammed a low free-kick beyond Seaman with the aid of a double deflection off Cole and Gilberto.
Downing whipped in a cross to the near post and Viduka stole in between Rio Ferdinand and Brown to send a diving header past Van der Sar.
BBC: SPORT | Football | Premiership | Man Utd 1-1 Middlesbrough
Viduka nearly doubled the lead soon after, skipping past two defenders and cutting in from the right only to drag his shot wide of Boaz Myhill's right-hand post.
Arca was guilty of an even worse miss midway through the half, planting a free header wide of the post from a Pogatetz cross, before Viduka finally struck.
BBC: SPORT | Football | Premiership | Middlesbrough 3-1 Fulham
Newcastle were surprisingly lacking any sense of real urgency, and Shearer played his final card with 20 minutes left by sending on Shola Ameobi for the tiring Viduka.
Viduka had a chance to silence the terrace taunts deep into injury time, but his volley went straight into the grateful arms of Turnbull and the points were shared.
Viduka had a chance to make the game safe in the 72nd minute but he shot over the bar in the box from Ray Parlour's cross from the right.
BBC: SPORT | Football | Premiership | West Brom 1-2 Middlesbrough
Just as the Tigers sensed a truly astonishing comeback, Boro raced up the other end and Viduka rammed a shot across Myhill and into the far corner from 15 yards.
Newcastle had opportunites to grasp at a lifeline in the first half, with Obafemi Martins firing off target and Mark Viduka having a shot cleared off the line by Carlos Cuellar.
Former Middlesbrough striker Mark Viduka was introduced for his first appearance of the season after 65 minutes, coming on to a predictable chorus of jeers from the fans who once supported him.
He has stood firm and resisted the temptation to raise the money at a stroke by selling off the family silver in the form of Alan Smith, Mark Viduka and Paul Robinson.
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Shearer threw on Obafemi Martins and Mark Viduka to partner Michael Owen in a three-man attack and it nearly paid dividends but Martins blasted over from close range with three minutes left.
Leeds' Mark Viduka - one of eight British-based players in Frank Farina's starting line-up - held the ball up brilliantly before delivering an overhead pass into the path of the breaking Bresciano who volleyed home.
Viduka castigated Downing for not delivering his cross more quickly, but when the England international picked up on the ball on the left at the end of the first half he had clearly learned his lesson.
BBC: SPORT | Football | Premiership | Man Utd 1-1 Middlesbrough
With United due to face AC Milan in their Champions League semi-final on Tuesday, Ryan Giggs had started the game on the bench, but Viduka's goal saw the Welshman stripped and ready to go for the start of the second half.
BBC: SPORT | Football | Premiership | Man Utd 1-1 Middlesbrough
Shearer expressed concern that Newcastle would struggle on the pitch in the Championship unless the team's off-field problems were swiftly rectified, allowing a new manager to strengthen a squad whose departures have included Michael Owen, Obafemi Martins, Mark Viduka, Habib Beye and Sebastien Bassong.
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