Crystal Palace 1-1 Newcastle: Callum Wilson overhead kick rescues point for Graeme Jones' Magpies
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Callum Wilson has now scored six goals in his last six Premier League appearances
Interim Newcastle manager Graeme Jones hailed Callum Wilson as a "unique striker" after the 29-year-old's magnificent overhead kick earned the Magpies a point at Crystal Palace in their first match since the departure of Steve Bruce.
Newcastle were second best for the majority of the game at Selhurst Park but earned a share of the spoils when Wilson sent an acrobatic volley past Vicente Guaita after Palace had failed to clear a corner.
"He is the best matchday finisher I have worked with," said Jones, who has been placed in temporary charge following Bruce's dismissal by the club's new Saudi-backed owners on Wednesday. "That is not even half a chance and it's in the back of the net, which tells you everything about Callum Wilson.
"In training he is a good finisher, he works and is a fantastic professional, but on matchday there is a stimulation that comes out of him. He has the mentality to perform for Newcastle United."
Eagles striker Benteke had opened the scoring 11 minutes into the second half, powering a header into the bottom corner from Tyrick Mitchell's deep cross.
Benteke also struck the woodwork in both halves, heading Michael Oliseh's teasing delivery against the foot of the post in the first before sending a looping header onto the top of the crossbar in the second.
In an eventful afternoon for the Belgian striker, he spurned a glorious opportunity to restore Palace's advantage when he fired into the side-netting from James McArthur's through ball, before having a late goal ruled out by VAR for a foul against Marc Guehi.
Palace's sixth draw of the season leaves them in 15th place - five points above Newcastle, who remain second bottom on four points and without a win this season.
"It is a base for us to start," added Jones. "I would like for us to be better on the ball but that doesn't come overnight. It takes time and we've concentrated on trying to shore up a little bit and not concede as many goals.
"We have to improve, we have to be better but I have to give the lads credit, mentally and physically."
Crystal Palace 1-1 Newcastle: Magpies stopped the rot today - Graeme Jones
Wilson goal papers over Newcastle cracks
Newcastle's new owners have said the appointment of a new manager "will be announced in due course" after relieving Bruce of his duties just 13 days after the Saudi Arabian-backed £305m takeover of the club.
The consortium has already held talks with former Roma coach Paulo Fonseca, while former Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe, ex-Borussia Dortmund coach Lucien Favre and Belgium boss Roberto Martinez have also been linked with the job.
Bruce's exit was met with relief bordering on jubilation by the vast majority of Newcastle supporters - but there was little for the travelling Toon Army to get excited about in the early stages on Saturday as Palace dominated possession.
The closest the visitors came to a first-half breakthrough was when Wilson fired into the side-netting from a tight angle after Emil Krafth's goal-bound effort was cleared by Guehi.
Allan Saint-Maximin showed fleeting glimpses of his creative brilliance but endured a frustrating afternoon as Newcastle's rare attacks were easily dealt with by the home defence.
It seemed only a matter of time before Palace doubled their advantage once Benteke had nodded the hosts into a thoroughly deserved lead, but Wilson sent the away fans wild with a magnificent strike into the top corner from Krafth's flick-on.
The former Bournemouth striker has now scored six goals in his last six Premier League appearances for the club.
The Magpies rode their luck late on as Benteke's strike was disallowed, but interim manager Jones will have appreciated his team's resilience in his first of two games at the helm before a new manager is due to be appointed.
Crystal Palace 1-1 Newcastle: Palace created chances but didn't take them - Patrick Vieira
Familiar failings for Palace
Even before Monday's 2-2 draw at Arsenal - a game which Palace also dominated for large spells - Patrick Vieira spoke about the need for his side to "turn good performances into wins".
The former Gunners captain has done a tremendous job in a very short space of time at Selhurst Park, implementing a more expansive and attacking brand of football than his predecessor Roy Hodgson, but the 3-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur in September remains his only victory in the league this season.
The first half was a familiar tale of frustration as the hosts enjoyed 79% of possession but failed to turn their territorial dominance into goals.
Benteke could have scored four or five on another day. The former Aston Villa and Liverpool striker broke Newcastle's resistance with a fine header early in the second half but was twice denied by the frame of the goal and sent an acrobatic effort of his own sailing narrowly over Karl Darlow's crossbar.
The Belgian will be bitterly disappointed not to have restored the hosts' advantage soon after Wilson's equaliser when he latched onto McArthur's pass and steered a low effort wide of the near post.
He thought he had atoned for his earlier misses with another firm header past Darlow on 87 minutes, but Guehi was adjudged to have fouled Matt Ritchie in the build-up as Palace were made to settle for a fourth successive draw in the Premier League.
"It was of course frustrating because we did enough to take those three points," Eagles boss Vieira said afterwards. "Obviously we don't win enough games, but when you look at how we defended set-pieces today it was much better than previously.
"The goal that we concede, it was a fantastic goal. There is nothing I can be frustrated about."
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