Ewood Park - 'And If You Know Your History ...'

Newcastle maintained their recent revival with a third successive Premiership victory to haul themselves five points clear of the relegation zone.

Two goals in four first-half minutes from striker Obafemi Martins and centre-back Steven Taylor set the Magpies on their way against Blackburn who had Stephane Henchoz sent off just before the break.

Although Morten Gamst Pedersen pulled one back, Martins made it six defeats in eight Premiership games for Rovers with an injury-time strike.

This latest triumph, after wins at home to Portsmouth and Reading, was only Newcastle's second on the road in eight league attempts.

For manager Glenn Roeder, it offered further relief in the midst of an injury crisis that further increased at Ewood Park as Emre and Nolberto Solano joined the casualty list.

Blackburn, who slowly gained control of the game early on even if their football was direct and unattractive, are now falling towards the relegation zone.

South Africa international Benni McCarthy twice beat goalkeeper Shay Given in the space of eight minutes, only to be ruled offside on both occasions

Despite his protests, assistant referee John Holbrook's judgment was correct as replays backed his decisions.

Sandwiched in between, Given made a stunning save to keep his side on level terms.

The Republic of Ireland star was at full stretch in acrobatically turning aside a powerful 12-yard header from Andre Ooijer as the centre-back met an outswinging corner from Morten Gamst Pedersen.

With Newcastle on the backfoot, McCarthy enjoyed a legitimate 22nd-minute chance, turning inside Steven Taylor just outside the area before shaving the crossbar with a rasping right-foot shot.

But after the half hour the game turned sour for Rovers and sweet for the visitors, albeit with hint of controversy.

When Antoine Sibierski delivered a ball over the top of the home defence in the 31st minute, Martins appeared to be offside.

The protests inside the ground were loud and long, but replays again supported the linesman, with Martins in line with captain Lucas Neill.

The undeterred Nigerian strode into the penalty area and rifled a half-volley past Brad Friedel for his fifth goal of the season, and second in successive games.

Four minutes later and the Magpies doubled their advantage, aided by shocking defending from Mark Hughes' side.

Michael Gray initially failed to prevent right-winger James Milner from delivering a cross to the far post where an unmarked Charles N'Zogbia drilled the ball back into the six-yard box.

Pedersen missed a clearing chance allowing Taylor the easiest of strikes from four yards, with the centre back scoring his second United goal, and his first in the Premiership in 34 appearances.

To rub salt into gaping Rovers wounds at that stage, Henchoz was debatably shown a straight red card by referee Dermot Gallagher in the 40th minute.

In chasing down a long, raking ball with Martins, the Swiss centre-back managed to head clear, only to bring down the United striker in the process.

As last man, Gallagher opted to dismiss Henchoz - so becoming the third Rovers player to be sent off this season - with the 32-year-old receiving a consoling pat on the back from Hughes as he made his way down the tunnel.

Appearing down and out going into the interval, Rovers gained a foothold in the game courtesy of a special strike from Pedersen.

From the left wing, the Norwegian cut inside and unleashed a 25-yard right-foot drive into the top right corner for his third goal of the season, and first for three months.

Given was again at his best in beating away a raking effort from Tugay soon after before Newcastle suffered further injury woes.

With 11 players sidelined, the influential Emre was first taken off on a stretcher following a 51st minute tackle by Pedersen, with the Turkish midfielder appearing to sustain a broken leg.

That was followed 15 minutes later when right-back Solano hobbled off, offering Blackburn hope of salvaging a point.

But after Martins missed an 84th-minute breakaway chance for 3-1, and Given denied Pedersen with another fine save from underneath his own crossbar, it was the Nigerian who had the final say.

With even Friedel pushed forward for successive corners in injury time, Newcastle broke to great effect, with Martins stroking home the third from 30 yards into an empty net.

Michael Owen came to Graeme Souness' rescue at Ewood Park today and prevented his new manager's nemesis from dealing his difficult reign a potentially fatal blow.

Beleaguered Souness must have been having nightmares about coming face to face with Craig Bellamy after selling the striker following their much publicised summer spat.

But he was left celebrating Owen's first Newcastle goal which helped significantly ease the pressure and provided the visitors with their first Barclays Premiership win of the season at the sixth attempt.

Owen headed powerfully past Brad Friedel in the 68th minute to effectively seal the points after Alan Shearer's trademark free-kick had begun lifting some of the gloom which has been gathering over Tyneside.

Even Steven Taylor's late sending-off for two bookable offences could not spoil Souness' day as Charles N'Zogbia wrapped up victory with three minutes to go to leave Rovers and Bellamy down and out.

In truth the final scoreline deflected from a poor visitors performance in a game which never caught alight until Shearer's clinical set-piece finish.

That was a surprise given the anticipation of Bellamy's first meeting with his former employers since the summer row which cut short his career on Tyneside.

Bellamy had appeared to hold the upper-hand at half-time with neither Owen nor Shearer looking likely scorers in a dreadful first half when chances were at a premium.

The Newcastle captain cut an almost anonymous figure while Owen's only chance came in the fifth minute and ended with a weak right-foot shot across the face of goal.

By that time Blackburn's customary disciplinary problems had already threatened to rear their ugly head again with Lucas Neill booked for a first minute lunge on Steven Taylor.

And the game soon settled into a fratchety midfield affair where the only real passion was exhibited by the visiting fans who heartily booed Bellamy each time he touched the ball.

Rovers enjoyed marginally the better of the proceedings with David Bentley shooting weakly into Shay Given's arms on his first start.

And Morten Gamst Pedersen was perhaps the best player wide on the left, his 19th-minute cross just eluding the lurking Bellamy and Robbie Savage in the box.

But the best first-half chances predictably came from set-pieces with Pedersen whacking a 30-yard free-kick over the bar in the 20th minute.

Then Savage forced a fine diving save out of Given from his 30th-minute effort after Jean Alain Boumsong had handled Pedersen's attempting through-ball.

Given's counterpart Brad Friedel could have stayed in the dressing rooms for all the work he was required to do as Rovers continued to fashion the better openings.

The energetic Bellamy flicked a half-chance over the bar from Vratislav Gresko's deep cross, and the Welshman's neat through-ball just ran too far ahead of Steven Reid.

Within seconds of the restart the home side signalled their intention to step up the pace with the increasingly impressive Bentley breaking well down the left.

His cross was knocked back by Bellamy to Reid who screamed a powerful right-foot effort just over the bar.

Owen finally showed a sign of the threat to come when he befuddled Ryan Nelsen on the left flank before the New Zealander managed to deflect his cross out for a corner.

Rovers came close again in the 57th minute when Bentley's long-ball into the box was headed by Bellamy into the path of the onrushing Reid, whose point-blank effort was deflected over the bar by Given.

Reid came close again from the resulting corner when his drive was almost deflected by Bellamy but instead flashed just wide of target.

But just as Rovers seemed to be getting a grip on the game Neill was caught clambering all over Owen in a central position 20 yards from goal in the 63rd minute.

The free-kick was in prime Shearer territory and Lee Clark tapped the ball to the Magpies captain, who drove a low shot into the bottom corner of the net to Friedel's left.

Five minutes later Owen broke his Newcastle duck with a firm header from N'Zogbia's left-wing cross to put his side further ahead.

The visitors' only setback occurred in the 75th minute when substitute Taylor, who had already been booked, received a second yellow card for holding back Bellamy.

Rovers boss Mark Hughes threw caution to the wind with his substitutions but Rovers' best chance to get back in the match fell to Tugay whose rising volley from Pedersen's corner flew just over Given's bar with 10 minutes to go.

N'Zogbia sprung the Rovers offside trap with three minutes left and finished a fine counter-attacking move by rolling the ball around Friedel and then into the net to cap Newcastle's great day.

Graeme Souness found scant relief from his current difficulties despite the familiar surroundings at Ewood Park as Newcastle left Blackburn grateful for having avoided defeat.

Souness found himself in the uncomfortable position of being booed by the home fans and a raucous element of the travelling support.

Having left Blackburn to fry bigger fish, it will have rankled with the Scot that his return merely highlighted the shortcomings of his collection of generally gifted under-performers, who were in the end fortunate to depart with a point and have now managed just one win in the previous eight league games.

Kieron Dyer put the visitors in front before Paul Dickov struck to put Blackburn level. A trademark free-kick by Laurent Robert gave Newcastle the lead again only for Andy Todd to hit back.

There was more here for Souness' successor Mark Hughes to be positive about, certainly in terms of attacking play, although he too will be worried by defensive frailty. The statistics in the first half saw Newcastle have just two shots and score two goals. In the same period, Blackburn had 11 efforts, five on target and one goal.

The first of Newcastle's chances, and goals, came with their first meaningful attack. Robert was the creator, biding his time with the pass to allow Dyer to spring the offside trap and finish expertly across Brad Friedel. It was his first league goal of this campaign.

Brett Emerton looked the one Rovers player with the ability to work an opening and it was the Australian who curled in a cross for Garry Flitcroft to flick a header just over the angle.

That was enough to spark some life into Blackburn and they then began to show more confidence in possession. Jon Stead, who had looked somewhat rusty, did well as the pivot of a one-two with Barry Ferguson only to see his captain come up with a weak shot from 20 yards.

In the 25th minute Blackburn deservedly found an equaliser, although it was the sort of goal which would have had Souness fuming on the sidelines.

As the Magpies lined up for a free-kick they failed to track Dickov who darted across the area, eight yards from goal. Ferguson knocked a simple ball in and his fellow Scot slid the ball simply into the opposite corner.

Re-energised by the goal, Blackburn began to heap on the pressure. Aaron Hughes made a terrific block after a powerful run and shot by Emerton, then Stead stabbed wide after Reid had driven another free-kick into the wall.

But just when things were looking bright for the home side, Robert - who only last week was making mutinous remarks about the Souness regime - put Newcastle back in front with the sort of free-kick which makes him difficult to leave out of the side.

Flitcroft had fouled Dyer 30 yards out on the right of the box and Robert ran up and struck a ferocious free-kick low to the left of Friedel, who saw the ball late and will have been unhappy with his positioning.

Stead poked a shot the wrong side of the post as the break approached, leaving Blackburn to wonder how they could be behind.

Both managers made a change at the break. Shola Ameobi came on for the injured Patrick Kluivert while Blackburn boss Mark Hughes sent David Thompson on for Steven Reid.

From the re-start, Blackburn nearly equalised again. Dickov shielded the ball superbly before sending Emerton through and he tried to place his shot across Shay Given but the Newcastle keeper managed to make the stop.

Given was soon in action again to turn aside Ferguson's drive after a neat cut-back by Thompson, but he was beaten in the 54th minute.

Again Newcastle failed to be watchful at a free-kick, and this time Ferguson advanced before unleashing a shot which Given parried only to watch forlornly as Todd scooped home the loose ball into the empty net.

Souness attempted to alleviate the pressure by bringing on Titus Bramble, although on recent form that looked more like further encouragement for Rovers.

Blackburn were almost caught by the same trick they had played for their first goal. This time Jermaine Jenas played a free-kick into Bellamy who spun and shot, only to see the strike blocked.

Dominic Matteo cleared off the toes of Bellamy to snuff out a Newcastle break, then the Wales striker pulled his shot hopelessly wide when given a good sight of goal.

Stead could have grabbed the winner with nine minutes let when he stooped to meet Emerton's free-kick but his header drifted wide.

The game, held up by lengthy treatment for referee Matt Messias who was eventually replaced by Uriah Renee.

Late on, Thompson forced Given into a late diving save but Newcastle managed to hang on.