Matt Derbyshire's last-gasp goal earned Blackburn a fortunate 1-0 win over Newcastle to pile the misery on Kevin Keegan.
Rovers stage smash and grab raid at St James' Park
Matt Derbyshire's last-gasp goal earned Blackburn a fortunate 1-0 win over Newcastle to pile the misery on Kevin Keegan.
The England Under 21 international came off the bench to grab the winner for Rovers in the final minute and leave Newcastle looking nervously over their shoulders.
The result was harsh on Newcastle who dominated the game for long periods but could not find a way past an inspired Brad Friedel.
The American keeper produced two superb saves in the second half to deny Michael Owen as Rovers boosted their European aspirations and left Keegan still looking for his first win since returning to Newcastle.
There were both boos and applause on the final whistle as the home fans among a crowd of 50,796 acknowledged the efforts of the players, but bemoaned their inability to make the pressure tell with the fight for survival now firmly on.
For half an hour or so, the Magpies looked to have shaken off the traumatic effects of what happened seven days ago, and with a little more fortune could have found themselves enjoying a rare lead at the break.
In the event, some nervous finishing and a sizeable portion of brave defending sent the two sides in at the break level, although Owen for one will have left the pitch wondering just how that was the case.
The England striker endured a quiet start to the game as Damien Duff saw a third-minute shot deflected inches wide by Rovers skipper Andre Ooijer and Alan Smith powered a header just over in the ninth minute.
But he burst into life in the 21st minute, cutting inside from the right wing to find Duff, who took longer than he might have to set himself and allowed Morten Gamst Pedersen to get in a block.
Opportunity
However, Owen's big moment arrived 10 minutes before half-time when he ran on to Joey Barton's pass to go around Friedel, only to shoot wide of the far post as the cover got back.
Rovers, for whom Ooijer had earlier shot wide on the turn, took that as their cue to step up the hunt for the opening goal, and they might have got it twice within seconds as the half drew to a close.
First Zurab Khizanishvili glanced a David Bentley corner across the face of goal, but it was Ooijer who perhaps should have made the breakthrough in injury time.
It was Newcastle's good fortune that Roque Santa Cruz's neat knock-down fell to the defender in acres of space inside the box, but there was no element of luck about Harper's charge from his line to block.
Denied
Smith might have broken the deadlock in the 53rd minute but dragged his shot wide of the far post, and it took a fine reaction save from Friedel to keep out Owen's bullet-header three minutes later.
The American distinguished himself once again with 61 minutes gone when he managed to get a foot to Owen's shot after the striker had run on to another Barton pass.
Rovers almost snatched victory three minutes from the end when Harper had to block Santa Cruz's effort, but the reprieve was only temporary for the home side.
As Newcastle committed men to the search for a winner, Bentley played Derbyshire into acres of space and the substitute finished with ease to pile on the misery for Keegan.
