The 21-year-old headed home a Laurent Robert free-kick deep into first-half injury-time with the Dutchmen still protesting at its award to cancel out Mateja Kezman’s 15th-minute opener and deny Guus Hiddink’s men a first-leg lead.

But United were made to scrap all the way by manager Sir Bobby Robson’s former club and it took some desperate defending and a stunning Shay Given save from defender Wilfred Bouma to leave the Magpies dreaming of a semi-final clash with either Inter Milan or Marseille.

Titus Bramble left the Philips Stadium fearing that he could yet have landed himself in hot water for striking out at midfielder Remco van der Schaaf as the game reached boiling point just before the visitors scored, but even that could not spoil Robson’s night as his side produced a dogged performance to head back to Tyneside with the psychological advantage and a precious away goal.

Robson had repeatedly warned anyone who cared to listen that his former club would prove his side’s sternest opponents yet in the competition, and the wisdom of his words was abundantly clear as PSV started at a sprint and pinned the visitors on to the back foot.

Front two Kezman and Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink immediately set about the task of pressurising the Magpies’ rearguard and with South Korean winger Park Ji-Sung terrorising Olivier Bernard, the omens were not good.

Bramble survived an early penalty appeal as the red and white shirts poured forward, and United were engaged in a backs-to-the-wall action from the off.

They fought their way through the early skirmishes, but they shot themselves in the foot twice within seconds to hand Kezman the change to stamp his mark on the game.

First Jonathan Woodgate mistimed an aerial challenge with Vennegoor of Hesselink and allowed him to flick the ball on for the Serbo-Montenegrin, and then Aaron Hughes failed to find Row Z with his attempted clearance and the path to goal was open.

Kezman took the time to settle himself before curling an unstoppable shot past Given from 20 yards and Newcastle were in trouble.

Alan Shearer, who was handed some rough treatment by defensive protector van der Schaaf which cost the Dutchman an early booking, and Craig Bellamy had seen little of the ball, and it was 18 minutes before goalkeeper Ronald Waterreus was called upon to make a save when he tipped Gary Speed’s long-range effort over.

However, as the half wore on, the visitors started to force their way into the game, Shearer volleying high and wide on 27 minutes and then forcing an excellent save from Waterreus with a firm header from Darren Ambrose’s 37th-minute cross.

French referee Gilles Veissiere became increasingly involved as the half wore on, and the home side were furious on the stroke of half-time when he missed Bramble apparently hitting out at van der Schaaf.

But his stock was to fall even further deep into injury time when he penalised van der Schaaf for a trip on Bernard and Jenas rose to head home Robert’s free-kick for the equaliser.

PSV’s reaction was to redouble their efforts after the break as United faced an early barrage.

Given and Woodgate had already denied John de Jong and Bouma when the defender powered in a bullet header from a 49th-minute corner which the Irishman somehow clawed from underneath his crossbar with the home fans off their seats.

Hiddink’s men were bristling with indignation and went close again two minutes later when Given palmed away a de Jong cross and full-back Lee Young-Pyo dragged the rebound wide with a host of silver shirts rushing towards him.

The pressure was relentless and Given had to back-pedal hurriedly across his line on 59 minutes as Park’s cross veered towards his goal.

But as they had done before the break, they started to find their feet and Ambrose created half a yard for himself on 63 minutes and drove a powerful shot into the side-netting.

However, Kezman acrobatically thumped a shot from Kasper Bogelund’s cross over the bar on 63 minutes, and three minutes later, Hiddink opted for change when he sent on the pacy Dennis Rommedahl and Johann Vogel in place of de Jong and van der Schaaf.

Given was forced to block a 76th-minute Kezman shot with his chest as the striker cut in from the left, and it took a fine interception from Woodgate to prevent Vennegoor of Hesselink from reaching Kezman’s cross in front of goal nine minutes from time.

United might have won it themselves with four minutes remaining when Bellamy broke at pace and squared for Shearer, but his long-range effort was tipped over by Waterreus.