Paul Dummett spared Alan Pardew's blushes with an extra-time header to guide Newcastle to a 3-2 Capital One Cup victory at Crystal Palace.
Teenager Sullay Kaikai had fired a last-gasp equaliser on his senior Palace debut to deny Newcastle victory in normal time.
Palace's 19-year-old academy graduate poked home in second-half injury time to stun the visitors, only for full-back Dummett to wrestle victory for the Tynesiders.
Emmanuel Riviere's coolly-taken brace put Newcastle on the brink of victory, before Kaikai made the scores 2-2 on the brink of full-time.
Dwight Gayle's accurate penalty handed Palace a first-half lead, but Riviere then notched the first goals of his Magpies career to end his six-game drought.
The £6million summer signing from Monaco added a calmly-despatched penalty to his clipped first-half finish to hand the visitors the initiative.
Newcastle failed to close out victory in normal time however, Palace academy product Kaikai blasting home at the second time of asking after Rob Elliot parried his initial effort.
Pardew's men remain winless in the Premier League, but this victory will go some way at least to appeasing the dissatisfied element of their support.
Newcastle's reward for this stubborn victory is a fourth-round trip to Premier League champions Manchester City, who battered Sheffield Wednesday 7-0.
If Pardew can transfer this manner of performance and victory in the league, he is unlikely to face further fan protests.
Palace manager Neil Warnock meanwhile will probably remain relatively unfazed in defeat, considering the former Sheffield United boss' continued drive for stability at Selhurst Park.
Newcastle started the brighter despite Pardew's continued Tyneside troubles, but the visitors offered no finishing power in the opening half-hour.
Gayle dragged a snapshot wide before Daryl Janmaat failed to find anyone with a right-wing cross after neat work from Gabriel Obertan.
Riviere then wasted two threatening crosses by failing to connect with any kind of power.
Janmaat's tame side-foot left Wayne Hennessey with little to do to mop up, and Newcastle immediately paid the price for profligacy.
Zaha's left-wing break was seemingly meandering to a close when Janmaat hacked his shins and conceded a needless penalty.
Gayle stepped up and despatched the spot-kick low and to Elliot's right to hand Palace the lead against the general run of play.
Full debutant Adam Armstrong failed to reach a right-flank cross, then Riviere fluffed Sammy Ameobi's dangerous ball.
For all that flailing though, Newcastle then levelled the match courtesy of a perfectly-placed strike from Riviere.
So wasteful beforehand, the Frenchman found pristine poise to spin off Brede Hangeland and clip beyond a motionless Hennessey from 20 yards.
Palace captain Paddy McCarthy gifted Newcastle the lead after the break, the fit-again defender scything down Ameobi in the box to hand the visitors a soft penalty.
Riviere stepped up and side-footed home just as calmly as he had converted his opener, again making a mockery of his early travails in front of goal.
Palace rallied in frustration, with Gayle heading against the base of the post.
And just when the hosts looked like slipping to defeat up popped late replacement Kaikai to send the game into extra time.
Mehdi Abeid was then sent off after receiving a second yellow card as Palace pressed for a winner when the match resumed for its third instalment.
Gayle lashed the ball into the net in the second period of extra time, only for his fine finish to be chalked off for offside.
As both sets of players started preparing for penalties, Armstrong clipped the ball to the far post - and Dummett caught the Palace defence unawares to nod home and steal the tie.
Source: PA
