Page last updated Monday, September 29th 2008 18:21 UK
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Barclays Premiership
Newcastle United 1-2 Blackburn Rovers
First-half goals from Matt Derbyshire saw Blackburn Rovers inflict third defeat of the season on Newcastle United.
Striker Derbyshire headed in Gamst Pedersen's free-kick from close range to give Blackburn a deserved lead. And soon later he doubled the score and his tally when he headed home Brett Emerton's cross. Newcastle produced a spirited fightback after the break and scored through a Andrei Arshavin penalty but Nicky Butt missed a great chance to equalise.
Newcastle showed enough spirit in the second half to suggest that an upturn in fortunes could be forthcoming. The glum expressions on home fans' faces at half-time was proof enough that Newcastle were lacklustre in the first half.
Indeed, it was a surprise that Blackburn took until the 31st minute to grab the lead as the visitors had been dominant, with Benny McCarthy and the lively Pedersen causing problems. McCarthy forced Shay Given to make an early save and moments later a Stephen Warnock shot could easily have been deflected into the net.
In the 18th minute, Dennis Kolodin rescued the Magpies when he cleared McCarthy's effort off the line but a Blackburn goal seemed inevitable and, for the almost mute Newcastle fans, it came with worrying ease.
Derbyshire's darting run outwitted the defence and the English striker headed home from six yards into the bottom-right corner. The Magpies were sloppy in possession and were being overrun in midfield, and four minutes before the break Blackburn doubled their lead through Derbyshire's second goal of the match with the striker picking almost the exact same spot as earlier.
Newcastle's fans warmly applauded their team back onto the pitch for the second half and the home side repaid the support by halving the deficit within five minutes. In the 47th minute, Newcastle had a penalty appeal for what appeared to be a Brett Emerton handball turned down but, two minutes later, Samba brought down Arshavin, who had been a peripheral figure in the first half, and the Russian striker struck his penalty down the centre of goal.
Newcastle were reinvigorated and they should have equalised when Roque Santa Cruz followed up his mesmerizing run with a menacing cross but Butt, with the goal at his mercy, let the ball bounce off his knee. Blackburn, led by the midfielder Dunn, deserve praise for quelling Newcastle who, despite the best efforts of substitute Xisco and N'Zogbia, were unable to get the equaliser they perhaps deserved.
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*Newcastle boss Roy Keane:
"We need to get back to basics. We haven't continued the winning run and we need to get that sorted out as soon as possible. We had some great chances in the second half with which could equalised and could have got the deserved point from the match. Lots of credit to the fans as they were behind the team even when we were 2-0 down. We are playing some good football, I feel its just matter of time that we start winning games."
*Blackburn boss Sam Allardyce:
"Also, it was a case of who got the first goal. As soon as we got the first goal I felt at ease because I knew the crowd would get on their backs. It's not the Newcastle players or manager's fault. They are trying, they are trying really, really hard and I feel sorry for them as they are very unlucky."
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Newcastle: Given, Jose Enrique, Kolodin, Coloccini, Taylor, Butt(N'Zogbia 77), Nolan, Arshavin, Santa Cruz, Martins(Xisco 71), Owen(C).
Subs Not Used: Harper, Cacapa, Assulin, Barton, Guthrie.
Booked: Coloccini.
Goals: Arshavin 51(pen).
Blackburn: Robinson, Warnock, samba, Ooijer, Emerton, Andrews, Vogel, Dunn(C), Pedersen, McCarthy(Fowler 80), Derbyshire.
Subs Not Used: Fielding, Nelsen, Mokoena, Villanueva, Peters, Roberts.
Booked: Pedersen, Samba.
Goals: Derbyshire 31, 41.
Att: 52,387.
Ref: Leigh Howe.
BBC Man of the Match: Matt Derbyshire.
