NEWCASTLE 1 BLACKBURN 2
NEWCASTLE: Krul, Simpson, Coloccini, Williamson, Jose Enrique, Barton, Nolan, Tiote (Routledge 88), Gutierrez, Carroll,Ameobi (Ranger 46). Subs Not Used: Soderberg, Campbell, Lovenkrands, Smith, Steven Taylor.
BLACKBURN: Robinson, Givet, Samba, Nelsen, Salgado, Emerton, Jones, Pedersen, Chimbonda, Hoilett (Dunn 84),Kalinic (Roberts 52). Subs Not Used: Bunn, El-Hadji Diouf, Goulon, Hanley, Mame Diouf.
Att: 41,053
Substitute Jason Roberts brought Newcastle's three-game winning run to an end, and gave Big Sam fuel for the fire when he said pre-match: "I will show the Geordies what they are missing".
Did he out-think Chris Hughton or send his side out to frustrate and hope to strike lucky?
In the end it doesn't matter ... he got the points and I'm sure it will fill him with pride the fact his players got the better of us ... regardless how it was done.
Morten Gamst Pedersen had given Rovers a third-minute lead, then Andy Carroll looked to have snatched at least a point with a towering 47th-minute header as Newcastle returned to the pitch following the Hughton 'hair-dryer' at half-time.
But it was a night of frustration, not just the result, but the fact midfielder Joey Barton is once again at the centre of controversy when hepunched Pedersen in the chest.
Blackburn adopted a game-plan which involved closing down space in the middle of the park to deny a supply line to Carroll and in return, attempted to hit their hosts on the break at pace.
The ploy proved successful in the opening 45 minutes as the Magpies were unable to reproduce the kind of flowing football which characterised their thumping home victories over Aston Villa and Sunderland.
Rovers were helped in no small part by the gift of an opening goal within three minutes of kick-off when the normally reliable Cheik Tiote surrendered possession to Brett Emerton inside his own penalty area and could only look on in horror as Pedersen blasted a low right-foot shot across goalkeeper Tim Krul and into the bottom corner.
Newcastle's response was initially lukewarm, other than a deflected eighth-minute Jose Enrique shot which dropped just wide, as the visitors' muscular back three of Christopher Samba, Ryan Nelsen and Gael Givet coped with the aerial threat comfortably.
Indeed, with wide midfielder David Hoilett and overlapping wing-back Pascal Chimbonda repeatedly exploiting the space behind right-back Danny Simpson, Blackburn looked capable of adding to their tally.
Pedersen saw a 16th-minute strike clip Carroll and slip past the post and then thumped a free-kick into Krul's midriff on the stroke of half-time.
However, in the meantime, the Magpies had finally established a momentum, although without ever troubling Paul Robinson.
Samba blocked a Tiote piledriver at source and Kevin Nolan fired over, but it took the home side 42 minutes to get behind the Blackburn defence.
Jonas Gutierrez's crossfield pass put Barton in on the right, but the ball skipped up off the turf and his right-foot shot flew harmlessly behind.
Hughton opted for change at the break when Shola Ameobi failed to reappear and was replaced by Nile Ranger, and his side was back on terms within two minutes of the restart in a fashion Allardyce would have greatly appreciated had it come at the other end.
Barton's floated free-kick allowed Carroll to get up above Samba to power a bullet header into the top corner to further enhance his reputation.
In a frenetic passage of play in the immediate aftermath of the goal, Barton shot wide after creating space for himself and was then involved in a clash with Pedersen at the other end after Hoilett had been booked for diving.
Barton seemed to have been elbowed by the Norwegian as he tried to run past, but his reaction was to double back, confront the Rovers player, then punch him in the chest.
Gutierrez failed to test Robinson as much as he might have with a 57th-minute strike, and with Roberts having replaced lone striker Nikola Kalinic, Rovers set about the task of trying to restore their lead.
It was a case of more brain than brawn as the two sides slugged it out in the search for a winner with the game approaching its final 20 minutes at breakneck pace.
But with Newcastle doing most of the pressing, they were caught by a sucker punch when Roberts muscled Mike Williamson off Robinson's clearance and tucked the ball past Krul eight minutes from time.
A final flurry failed to yield salvation for the Magpies, who once again succumbed to comparatively modest opposition on their own park.
LAST TIME ROVERS CAME TO ST JAMES' PARK ...
2008/9 NEWCASTLE 1 BLACKBURN 2
NEWCASTLE:le Given, Bassong, Taylor, Coloccini, Cacapa, Geremi (Ameobi 71), Butt, Duff, N'Zogbia (Edgar 82), Xisco, Owen. Subs Not Used: Harper, Tozer, Doninger, Donaldson, Ranger.
BLACKBURN: Brown, Simpson, Nelsen, Samba, Warnock, Emerton, Olsson, Kerimoglu, Derbyshire (Ooijer 84), Roque Santa Cruz (Roberts 84), Villanueva (Fowler 62). Subs Not Used: Bunn, Pedersen, Andrews, Treacy.
Att: 44,935
Joe Kinnear's arrival at St James' Park failed to inspire Newcastle to end their losing run as Blackburn piled on the misery.
However, after a woeful first-half display which saw Rovers take a 2-0 lead through Christopher Samba and Roque Santa Cruz, the Magpies did at least stage a fightback which suggested their spirits have not been completely crushed.
Skipper Michael Owen converted a 48th-minute penalty for his fourth goal in six games after he had been tripped by Ryan Nelsen, and the home side made a genuine attempt to repair the remaining damage.
In the end, they were unable to snatch the point which might have partially eased their woes.
But a crowd of 44,935 - around 7,000 down on capacity - left at least able to take some comfort from a committed end to what at one point looked like another black afternoon on Tyneside.
That said, Newcastle remain deep in trouble with no permanent manager and an owner who cannot get rid of the club quickly enough, and things could well get worse before they get better.
Blackburn boss Paul Ince, who was at one point the favourite to succeed Kevin Keegan, headed for the north-west having seen his side make the most of a big opportunity at St James', and their resilience at the death will have been as pleasing as their prowess at the other end.
Kinnear met the players before kick-off before taking his seat in the stands, from where he had to watch the game after the Magpies were informed he has still to serve a two-match disciplinary ban dating back to his time at Nottingham Forest.
His mood was one of defiance as the shock waves over his appointment continued to reverberate on Tyneside.
He said: "It's amazing, I am well aware of that, and I have been getting plenty of criticism and stick over it.
"But my answer to that is, 'Sod it'. It's an opportunity, I have been asked and I am going to take it."
He may well have been uttering "Sod it" and a few more expletives under his breath by the time the team he has inherited headed for the dressing room at the break.
Caretaker boss Chris Hughton's hands have been tied by injuries and suspensions, but the patchwork side he fielded this afternoon simply did not look up to the task in the opening 45 minutes.
Fragility at the back, indiscipline in midfield and a lack of any cutting edge in attack, where Owen and summer signing Xisco made little or no impression, meant the Magpies hopes looked forlorn from the off.
And with Carlos Villanueva orchestrating from the middle of the park for Rovers and Santa Cruz too hot for a traumatised defence to handle, the omens were not good.
The visitors would have been ahead with just nine minutes gone had Shay Given not kept out Matt Derbyshire's shot after he had escaped from emergency right-back Steven Taylor.
But the opening goal arrived with 31 minutes gone when Samba ran on to Villanueva's free-kick unchallenged to head firmly past the Irishman.
Newcastle, however, did not learn their lesson, and when Brett Emerton curled a similarly inviting cross into the box 10 minutes later, Santa Cruz supplied an equally comprehensive finish to put his side in complete control.
The boos which greeted the half-time whistle told their own story as supporters who have endured a nightmare three weeks or so since Kevin Keegan's departure prepared for more misery.
Kinnear had planned to pass on his thoughts at the break, and if he did, whatever he said seemed to have an effect.
The Magpies were appealing in vain for a 48th-minute penalty after Martin Olsson appeared to handle Damien Duff's cross under pressure from Geremi.
Referee Steve Tanner was unmoved on that occasion, but he did point to the spot a minute later after Rovers skipper Ryan Nelsen had clipped Owen's heels.
The England international picked himself up to dispatch the penalty past keeper Jason Brown and remarkably, his side might have been level within three minutes had Geremi volleyed Duff's cross towards goal rather than miscontrolled it.
Geremi tested Brown with a well-struck 25-yard effort as Newcastle finally started to believe, although Rovers gradually began to work their way back into the game and themselves had appeals for a penalty waved away for Claudio Cacapa's 61st-minute challenge on Santa Cruz.
Newcastle were growing in confidence as the game wore on, but clear-cut chances were few and far between and Brown had no real scares as time ran down.
NEWCASTLE v BLACKBURN HISTORY:
2008/2009 Sat 17 Jan Blackburn R. 3 - 0 Newcastle Utd. Premier League
Sat 27 Sep Newcastle Utd. 1 - 2 Blackburn R. Premier League
2007/2008 Sat 01 Mar Newcastle Utd. 0 - 1 Blackburn R. Premier League
Sat 01 Dec Blackburn R. 3 - 1 Newcastle Utd. Premier League
2006/2007 Sat 05 May Newcastle Utd. 0 - 2 Blackburn R. Premiership
Sat 09 Dec Blackburn R. 1 - 3 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
2005/2006 Sat 21 Jan Newcastle Utd. 0 - 1 Blackburn R. Premiership
Sun 18 Sep Blackburn R. 0 - 3 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
2004/2005 Sun 26 Dec Blackburn R. 2 - 2 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
Sat 11 Sep Newcastle Utd. 3 - 0 Blackburn R. Premiership
2003/2004 Wed 11 Feb Blackburn R. 1 - 1 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
Sun 28 Dec Newcastle Utd. 0 - 1 Blackburn R. Premiership
2002/2003 Sat 22 Mar Newcastle Utd. 5 - 1 Blackburn R. Premiership
Sat 19 Oct Blackburn R. 5 - 2 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
2001/2002 Tue 23 Apr Blackburn R. 2 - 2 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
Sat 15 Dec Newcastle Utd. 2 - 1 Blackburn R. Premiership
1999/2000 Mon 31 Jan Blackburn R. 1 - 2 Newcastle Utd. F.A. Cup
1998/1999 Sun 16 May Newcastle Utd. 1 - 1 Blackburn R. Premiership
Wed 24 Feb Blackburn R. 0 - 1 Newcastle Utd. F.A. Cup
Sun 14 Feb Newcastle Utd. 0 - 0 Blackburn R. F.A. Cup
Sat 12 Dec Blackburn R. 0 - 0 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
Wed 11 Nov Newcastle Utd. 1 - 1 Blackburn R. League Cup
after extra time, 90 minutes 1-1, Blackburn Rovers won 4-2 on penalties
1997/1998 Sun 10 May Blackburn R. 1 - 0 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
Sat 25 Oct Newcastle Utd. 1 - 1 Blackburn R. Premiership
1996/1997 Thu 26 Dec Blackburn R. 1 - 0 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
Sat 14 Sep Newcastle Utd. 2 - 1 Blackburn R. Premiership
1995/1996 Mon 08 Apr Blackburn R. 2 - 1 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
Wed 08 Nov Newcastle Utd. 1 - 0 Blackburn R. Premiership
1994/1995 Mon 08 May Blackburn R. 1 - 0 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
Wed 18 Jan Blackburn R. 1 - 2 Newcastle Utd. F.A. Cup
Sun 08 Jan Newcastle Utd. 1 - 1 Blackburn R. F.A. Cup
Sun 09 Oct Newcastle Utd. 1 - 1 Blackburn R. Premiership
1993/1994 Sat 19 Feb Blackburn R. 1 - 0 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
Sun 29 Aug Newcastle Utd. 1 - 1 Blackburn R. Premiership
1992/1993 Sat 13 Feb Blackburn R. 1 - 0 Newcastle Utd. F.A. Cup
1991/1992 Sat 15 Feb Blackburn R. 3 - 1 Newcastle Utd. Second Division
Sat 23 Nov Newcastle Utd. 0 - 0 Blackburn R. Second Division
1990/1991 Sat 12 Jan Newcastle Utd. 1 - 0 Blackburn R. Second Division
Sat 01 Sep Blackburn R. 0 - 1 Newcastle Utd. Second Division
1989/1990 Sat 24 Mar Blackburn R. 2 - 0 Newcastle Utd. Second Division
Wed 18 Oct Newcastle Utd. 2 - 1 Blackburn R. Second Division
1983/1984 Fri 20 Apr Blackburn R. 1 - 1 Newcastle Utd. Second Division
Mon 26 Dec Newcastle Utd. 1 - 1 Blackburn R. Second Division
1982/1983 Sat 09 Apr Newcastle Utd. 3 - 2 Blackburn R. Second Division
Wed 01 Sep Blackburn R. 1 - 2 Newcastle Utd. Second Division
1981/1982 Sat 01 May Blackburn R. 4 - 1 Newcastle Utd. Second Division
Sat 05 Dec Newcastle Utd. 0 - 0 Blackburn R. Second Division
1980/1981 Sat 25 Apr Blackburn R. 3 - 0 Newcastle Utd. Second Division
Wed 15 Apr Newcastle Utd. 0 - 0 Blackburn R. Second Division
1978/1979 Wed 25 Apr Blackburn R. 1 - 3 Newcastle Utd. Second Division
Sat 09 Sep Newcastle Utd. 3 - 1 Blackburn R. Second Division
1965/1966 Sat 09 Apr Newcastle Utd. 2 - 1 Blackburn R. First Division
Sat 13 Nov Blackburn R. 4 - 2 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1960/1961 Sat 29 Apr Blackburn R. 2 - 4 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Sat 26 Nov Newcastle Utd. 3 - 1 Blackburn R. First Division
1959/1960 Sat 09 Apr Blackburn R. 1 - 1 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Sat 21 Nov Newcastle Utd. 3 - 1 Blackburn R. First Division
1958/1959 Sat 20 Dec Blackburn R. 3 - 0 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Sat 23 Aug Newcastle Utd. 1 - 5 Blackburn R. First Division
1951/1952 Wed 02 Apr Newcastle Utd. 2 - 1 Blackburn R. F.A. Cup
played at Elland Road
Sat 29 Mar Newcastle Utd. 0 - 0 Blackburn R. F.A. Cup
played at Hillsbrough
1938/1939 Sat 25 Mar Newcastle Utd. 2 - 2 Blackburn R. Second Division
Sat 19 Nov Blackburn R. 3 - 0 Newcastle Utd. Second Division
1937/1938 Sat 26 Mar Newcastle Utd. 2 - 0 Blackburn R. Second Division
Sat 13 Nov Blackburn R. 2 - 1 Newcastle Utd. Second Division
1936/1937 Sat 30 Jan Blackburn R. 6 - 1 Newcastle Utd. Second Division
Sat 26 Sep Newcastle Utd. 2 - 0 Blackburn R. Second Division
1933/1934 Mon 18 Sep Blackburn R. 3 - 2 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Wed 06 Sep Newcastle Utd. 3 - 1 Blackburn R. First Division
1932/1933 Sat 22 Apr Newcastle Utd. 2 - 1 Blackburn R. First Division
Sat 10 Dec Blackburn R. 2 - 1 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1931/1932 Wed 02 Mar Newcastle Utd. 5 - 3 Blackburn R. First Division
Sat 17 Oct Blackburn R. 0 - 3 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1930/1931 Sat 04 Apr Blackburn R. 1 - 0 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Sat 29 Nov Newcastle Utd. 2 - 3 Blackburn R. First Division
1929/1930 Mon 16 Sep Blackburn R. 4 - 2 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Wed 04 Sep Newcastle Utd. 5 - 1 Blackburn R. First Division
1928/1929 Tue 01 Jan Newcastle Utd. 0 - 2 Blackburn R. First Division
Mon 24 Sep Blackburn R. 2 - 0 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1927/1928 Sat 11 Feb Blackburn R. 1 - 0 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Sat 14 Jan Blackburn R. 4 - 1 Newcastle Utd. F.A. Cup
Sat 01 Oct Newcastle Utd. 0 - 1 Blackburn R. First Division
1926/1927 Sat 12 Mar Blackburn R. 1 - 2 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Sat 23 Oct Newcastle Utd. 6 - 1 Blackburn R. First Division
1925/1926 Mon 12 Oct Blackburn R. 1 - 2 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Wed 09 Sep Newcastle Utd. 1 - 7 Blackburn R. First Division
1924/1925 Wed 10 Sep Newcastle Utd. 4 - 0 Blackburn R. First Division
Mon 01 Sep Blackburn R. 1 - 1 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1923/1924 Mon 17 Sep Blackburn R. 2 - 1 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Wed 29 Aug Newcastle Utd. 2 - 1 Blackburn R. First Division
1922/1923 Sat 10 Mar Blackburn R. 1 - 1 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Sat 03 Mar Newcastle Utd. 5 - 1 Blackburn R. First Division
1921/1922 Mon 06 Mar Blackburn R. 0 - 2 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Sat 25 Feb Newcastle Utd. 2 - 0 Blackburn R. First Division
1920/1921 Sat 19 Mar Blackburn R. 3 - 3 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Sat 12 Mar Newcastle Utd. 1 - 2 Blackburn R. First Division
1919/1920 Sat 13 Mar Blackburn R. 2 - 0 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Sat 06 Mar Newcastle Utd. 0 - 0 Blackburn R. First Division
1914/1915 Sat 17 Apr Newcastle Utd. 2 - 1 Blackburn R. First Division
Sat 12 Dec Blackburn R. 2 - 3 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1913/1914 Fri 10 Apr Newcastle Utd. 0 - 0 Blackburn R. First Division
Mon 01 Sep Blackburn R. 3 - 0 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1912/1913 Sat 15 Mar Newcastle Utd. 0 - 1 Blackburn R. First Division
Sat 09 Nov Blackburn R. 2 - 0 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1911/1912 Sat 27 Apr Blackburn R. 1 - 1 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Sat 21 Oct Newcastle Utd. 4 - 2 Blackburn R. First Division
1910/1911 Sat 15 Apr Newcastle Utd. 2 - 2 Blackburn R. First Division
Sat 10 Dec Blackburn R. 3 - 1 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1909/1910 Sat 19 Feb Newcastle Utd. 3 - 1 Blackburn R. F.A. Cup
Sat 08 Jan Newcastle Utd. 4 - 1 Blackburn R. First Division
Sat 04 Sep Blackburn R. 2 - 0 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1908/1909 Sat 24 Apr Blackburn R. 2 - 4 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Sat 19 Dec Newcastle Utd. 2 - 0 Blackburn R. First Division
1907/1908 Mon 23 Mar Blackburn R. 1 - 1 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Sat 26 Oct Newcastle Utd. 3 - 0 Blackburn R. First Division
1906/1907 Mon 01 Apr Newcastle Utd. 3 - 1 Blackburn R. First Division
Tue 25 Dec Blackburn R. 4 - 0 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1905/1906 Mon 30 Apr Newcastle Utd. 3 - 0 Blackburn R. First Division
Mon 01 Jan Blackburn R. 1 - 0 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1904/1905 Sat 01 Apr Blackburn R. 2 - 0 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Sat 03 Dec Newcastle Utd. 1 - 0 Blackburn R. First Division
1903/1904 Sat 02 Apr Newcastle Utd. 2 - 1 Blackburn R. First Division
Sat 05 Dec Blackburn R. 4 - 0 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1902/1903 Sat 18 Apr Blackburn R. 3 - 1 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Sat 20 Dec Newcastle Utd. 1 - 0 Blackburn R. First Division
1901/1902 Sat 04 Jan Newcastle Utd. 0 - 3 Blackburn R. First Division
Sat 07 Sep Blackburn R. 0 - 0 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1900/1901 Sat 05 Jan Newcastle Utd. 1 - 0 Blackburn R. First Division
Sat 08 Sep Blackburn R. 0 - 0 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1899/1900 Sat 13 Jan Newcastle Utd. 4 - 1 Blackburn R. First Division
Sat 16 Sep Blackburn R. 2 - 3 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1898/1899 Sat 08 Apr Newcastle Utd. 1 - 0 Blackburn R. First Division
Sat 10 Dec Blackburn R. 4 - 2 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1897/1898 Fri 30 Apr Newcastle Utd. 4 - 0 Blackburn R. Test Match
Wed 28 Apr Blackburn R. 4 - 3 Newcastle Utd. Test Match