Newcastle United 0 Blackburn Rovers 1

Last updated : 21 January 2006 By Footymad Previewer
Furious home fans vented their anger at Graeme Souness as Newcastle slumped to an inept home defeat against his former club Blackburn.

Ineffective and powder-puff United have now slumped to 14th position in the Premiership table and for many fans that was enough.

Congregating outside the main entrance at St. James' Park, hundreds of fans voiced their disgust with chants of "Souness Out" and "There's only one Bobby Robson" as police on horseback attempted to disperse them.

One point from the last 15 has seen United turn from a team mentioned as European contenders to a side heading headlong into the relegation dogfight.

Ironically the only goal came from Souness' final Blackburn signing Morten Gamst Pedersen and he clearly punched Shefki Kuqi's header into the net.

This is the second time in three years that Rovers had won in such a controversial manner at St James' Park after Paul Gallagher did the same during the Souness reign at Ewood Park.

As a contest it should have been over in the first half. Pedersen missed a first-minute sitter and seconds later both he and Paul Dickov had goalmouth scrambles saved.

Now unbeaten in eight games, Rovers wasted a golden opportunity when Pedersen's surging run down the left picked out Dickov at the back post, but from just four yards he was unable to beat Given.

Newcastle then had a great chance in the sixth minute only for Steven Reid to come to the rescue with the most timely of blocks to deny Albert Luque his first United goal.

Rovers later lost Dickov with a dislocated shoulder, while Luque was substituted after 62 minutes and ran straight to the dressing-room.

Incredibly, Newcastle have never come back to win during Souness' time in charge after falling behind, which was not a good omen when Pedersen struck 15 minutes from time.

Skipper Alan Shearer saw a couple efforts saved, while Lee Bowyer scuffed wide with the goal at his mercy and had a last minute penalty appeal brushed aside.