Newcastle avoided Intertoto Cup embarrassment at the hands of Norwegian side Lillestrom thanks to Albert Luque's equaliser.
Misfit striker Luque paid a sliver off his £9.5m transfer fee by curling in an exquisite equaliser.
Robert Koren deservedly put Lillestrom ahead with a shot that deflected past keeper Shay Given.
A well-drilled Lillstrom outfit did enough to suggest Newcastle face an uphill task to claim a Uefa Cup place.
With Michael Owen facing knee surgery and Shola Ameobi only fit enough to be named among the substitutes, Newcastle's striking shortcomings again reared up as Luque and James Milner struggled to make headway.
Emre's free-kick was Liilestrom keeper Heinz Muller's only first-half test and the Magpies were booed off by the 31,000 crowd at half-time.
Bjorn Helge Riise, brother of Liverpool's John Arne, sent a dipping shot just over the bar as Lillstrom pressed for a winner.
Newcastle were denied what would have been an undeserved winner when Alan O'Brien fired wide with the last kick of the game.
"This game will do us the world of good. The boys are going to be a lot sharper next week.
"They have got the away goal and so we know what we are going to have to do. It's very important because we want the club in the Uefa Cup."
Newcastle: Given, Carr, Bramble, Taylor, Babayaro, Solano, Parker, Emre, N'Zogbia, Milner (Ameobi 65), Luque (O'Brien 81)
Subs Not Used: Harper, Faye, Butt, Ramage, Pattison.
Goals: Luque 50.
Lillestrom: Muller, Winsnes (Kali 5), Rambekk, Andresen, Stefanutto, Riise (Wehrman 68), Sogard, Mouehli, Koren (Strand 60), Mifsud, Occean.
Subs Not Used: Fredrikson, Myklebust, Kippe, Sundgot.
Booked: Occean.
Goals: Koren 21.
Att: 31,059
Ref: Joeri Van De Velde (Belgium).