Newcastle 1 Blackburn Rovers 2:SAM ALLARDYCE gained a measure of revenge on Newcastle United on a night when his tactical ingenuity not only cancelled out Andy Carroll's latest goal but brought his hitherto high-flying former employers firmly back down to earth.
Allardyce invested the sizeable pay-off he received after being sacked as Newcastle’s manager in a magnificent Spanish villa, named Casa St James.
Back at St James’ Park for the first time since his departure in January 2008 Allardyce had configured Blackburn in a manner designed to stick a metaphorical two fingers in Newcastle’s direction.
The visitors arrived in a 3-4-2-1 formation which morphed into a 3-6-1 and sometimes 5-5-1. Apart from squeezing the life out of Chris Hughton’s midfield, this system forced Andy Carroll and Shola Ameobi deep in search of the ball. On those rare occasions when it did break for them in the box the aerially dominant Christopher Samba was on hand to clear.
It did not help that Hughton’s side conceded an early goal. Cheik Tiote has been looking a strong contender for smartest buy of the season but, in the third minute, Newcastle’s former FC Twente midfielder suffered a concentration lapse. Meeting the fallout from Morten Gamst Pedersen’s free kick, Tiote dwelt disastrously in possession, allowing Brett Emerton to seize the ball before playing in the on-rushing Pedersen who swept a tightly angled shot beyond Tim Krul.
With virtually all the first-half chances coming at the end of Blackburn counter-attacks or set-pieces, Hughton must have been relieved Newcastle were not further behind at the interval.
They were level soon after it though. Carroll for once stole in front of Samba to connect with a free kick from Joey Barton and directed a magnificent header past Paul Robinson.
It was Carroll’s seventh goal of the season and its imperious execution encapsulated some of the reasons why Fabio Capello is prepared to include a striker currently on bail and carrying much unsavoury off-field baggage in the next England squad.
Shortly afterwards Barton was lucky to escape a sending off after an off-the-ball incident in which the he seemed to strike Pedersen in the ribs, prompting the Norwegian’s collapse. Pedersen possibly made the most of it but had the referee seen it he would surely have had to brandish a red card.
Jason Roberts enjoyed the last word when he beat both Fabricio Coloccini and Mike Williamson to a long ball and lashed the winner home with eight minutes to go.
Guardian Service
NEWCASTLE UTD: 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. Booked: Nolan, Tiote, Coloccini.
BLACKBURN ROVERS: 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. Booked: Jones, Samba, Hoilett, Roberts.
Referee: Michael Jones (Cheshire).
Attendance: 41,053