Newcastle produced a late three-goal blitz to join forces with Manchester United to pile the pressure on Arsenal in the race for the Barclaycard Premiership title.

Sir Bobby Robson's side entered the last five minutes of a tight game leading 2-1 and enduring a stern examination from Graeme Souness' side.

Damien Duff had cancelled out Nolberto Solano's 24th-minute opener with a stunning volley nine minutes after the break, but Laurent Robert restored his side's advantage with a blistering free-kick seven minutes later.

However in a thrilling conclusion substitute Jermaine Jenas, Rovers defender Vratislav Gresko and Craig Bellamy - for the first time since January 18 - found the back of the net in rapid succession to wrap up the points.

United again showed remarkable powers of recovery to extend their run of not losing in the Premiership immediately after a Champions League fixture to 22 games, and move a step nearer to their dream of repeating the experience next season.

Newcastle's failing in recent years has been no secret, and successive managers have invested millions trying to find the solution to their defensive problems.

But the day Robson went out and paid £9million for Jonathan Woodgate was the day they took a significant step on the road to establishing themselves as a genuine force.

The 23-year-old England international never appears hurried and unerringly turns up in the right place at the right time and, with the minimum of fuss, deals with whatever is thrown at him.

Blackburn boss Souness asked Dwight Yorke and Hakan Sukur to carry the goal threat for their side at St James' Park, and they did just that, stretching the United rearguard at regular intervals.

But more often than not, when they got a sniff of goal, Woodgate arrived to thwart them.

It was he who stepped in to calmly dispossess Sukur after Martin Taylor had picked him out at the back post on 11 minutes and he who got in the way to block Yorke's 21st-minute shot after the striker had skipped past Titus Bramble and taken aim.

And by handling all that Rovers could throw at them, Woodgate and his defensive colleagues paved the way for the men in front of them to do what they do best.

The enigmatic Robert was in enterprising mood as he ran at Taylor and shot on sight, and he, Solano and Kieron Dyer caused all kinds of problems for the visitors before the break.

The Frenchman and the Peruvian who combined to put their side ahead, Robert turning Taylor inside out before crossing to the far post for Solano to leap above Duff and head home.

The visitors struggled to get wide men Duff and former Newcastle man Keith Gillespie into the game, and it was full-backs Taylor and Gresko who provided what width there was to their play, but to little real effect in the opening 45 minutes.

Souness made his move at the break when he replaced the ineffective Gillespie with David Dunn, and the ploy paid dividends within nine minutes.

Bramble was booked for a wild challenge on the midfielder and although United managed to block the initial free-kick, the loose ball ran to Duff and he smashed home a magnificent left-foot volley.

But they were level for only seven minutes as referee Neale Barry penalised full-back Gresko for a challenge on Alan Shearer and then booked him for protesting, marching the ball 10 yards further forward.

Robert, who had failed to hit the target with a series of long-range efforts before the break, this time got his bearings just right to thunder a dipping free-kick across Brad Friedel and into the bottom corner.

Former United striker Andy Cole replaced Yorke on 63 minutes to a less then friendly welcome from the home supporters among a crowd of 52,106, although they were cheering when he first shot wide from Gresko's near-post cross and then allowed Shay Given to dispossess him in front of goal.

In the meantime, Barry had waved away Bellamy's appeals for a penalty after he went down under Craig Short's challenge.

But Newcastle were not done, and five minutes from time Aaron Hughes got away down the left and squared for Jenas to calmly sidefoot past the stranded Friedel.

Gresko turned Dyer's 89th-minute cross into his own net and Bellamy made it a rout in injury time when he slotted substitute Hugo Viana's centre into the bottom corner.

Teams

Newcastle Given, Griffin, Woodgate, Bramble, Hughes, Solano (Jenas 65), Dyer, Speed, Robert (Viana 77), Shearer (Ameobi 86), Bellamy.

Subs Not Used: Harper, O'Brien.

Booked: Bramble.

Goals: Solano 24, Robert 61, Jenas 85, Gresko 89 og, Bellamy 90.

Blackburn Friedel, Taylor, Berg, Short, Gresko, Gillespie (Dunn 45), Flitcroft, Tugay (Grabbi 70), Duff, Sukur, Yorke (Cole 63).

Subs Not Used: Kelly, Todd.

Booked: Gresko.

Goals: Duff 54.

Att: 52,106

Ref: N Barry (N Lincolnshire).