Jon Stead reinforced his claim to be the new hero of Blackburn with a late equaliser to take the shine off Craig Bellamy's return to the Newcastle starting line-up.

The 20-year-old, signed by Rovers from Third Division Huddersfield, last week had proved the match-winner at Middlesbrough on Saturday and struck with an equally valuable goal on his home debut.

Stead's leveller came with five minutes left and means that Newcastle face a real fight for fourth spot in the Premiership and a place in the Champions League.

Bellamy, making his first start since October 4, had earlier shown signs of rustiness before ramming home a loose ball early in the second half.

Sir Bobby Robson's pleasure at the Welsh striker's scoring return will only be tempered by Jonathan Woodgate's continued absence with a nagging groin problem - England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson is understood to have abandoned plans to come to a fog-wreathed Ewood Park after learning the defender was not playing.

Bellamy began alongside Alan Shearer, who was somewhat unlucky to see his scoring drought stretch to one goal in 11 games, and the Welshman passed up a fantastic opportunity in the third minute.

With Rovers caught flat-footed, he raced onto Laurent Robert's header but keeper Brad Friedel won the one-on-one with Michael Gray following up to clear the danger.

Blackburn regrouped and Stead, after the surprise of finding himself in acres of space 30 yards from goal, brought a good diving save out of Shay Given.

Newcastle's defending again looked suspect when Andy Cole picked up a throw-in completely unmarked and tested Given from a narrow angle but the Magpies keeper was able to deflect the ball into the side-netting.

There was bad luck for Stead when, having stolen free at the back post, he slipped the moment before Gray's teasing cross reached him.

Little had been seen of Shearer before the 25th minute and the striker, who usually makes a habit of scoring at the home of his old club, blasted over after the ball had sat up nicely for him to try his luck.

Blackburn did looked vulnerable to Newcastle's pace and Friedel made two quality saves to thwart Gary Speed in the space of a minute. The first owed everything to superb reactions, Friedel thrusting out a leg to deny the Welsh midfielder's close-range prod, and the second a more routine tip around the post after he had shot from 25 yards.

There were more heroics from the American keeper when Shearer held off a muscular challenge from Andy Todd and struck a rising drive on the turn that Friedel pushed out for a corner.

Newcastle then survived a goalmouth scramble with Titus Bramble clearing off the line from Cole and then Stead shooting the rebound over from 10 yards.

There was another escape when Emerton robbed Robert and sprinted half the length of the pitch with the Frenchman unable to catch him. The finish, a little dink over Given, would have been delightful had it not bounced agonisingly a foot wide.

In the 52nd minute Bellamy finally seized the initiative. Robert's throw-in was deep but Blackburn should never have let it bounce and after Shearer and Friedel had cancelled each other out in their efforts to reach the ball Bellamy slammed it home left-footed into the roof of the net.

Confidence restored, Bellamy was soon attacking again, running onto Shearer's flick before cutting back inside Babbel and curling an effort a yard wide.

The goal rattled Blackburn and much of their previous fluency deserted them - highlighted as Michael Gray and Andy Todd played panicky pinball with Kieron Dyer's cross in their own six-yard box before the danger cleared.

Bellamy then missed an opportunity to wrap it up when, with Friedel caught way off his line, the Welsh striker floated an attempted lob woefully wide.

Gallagher came on for the last 20 minutes and as Dwight Yorke warmed up the visiting fans broke into a rousing chorus of "There's only one Peter Andre!".

The substitution paid dividends when with five minutes Babbel played in Gallagher, he delivered a perfect cross to the far-post for Stead to fire home from the acutest of angles.

There was time for a couple of scares in injury-time but Jermaine Jenas struck thin air in a promising position then Shearer's low drive was saved by Friedel.

Teams

Blackburn Friedel, Douglas (Gallagher 69), Babbel, Neill, Todd, Emerton, Tugay, Flitcroft, Gray, Stead, Cole (Johansson 90).

Subs Not Used: Yorke, Andresen, Enckelman.

Goals: Stead 85.

Newcastle Given, Hughes, Bramble, O'Brien, Bernard, Dyer, Speed, Jenas, Robert, Shearer, Bellamy.

Subs Not Used: Elliott, Ambrose, Ameobi, Viana, Harper.

Goals: Bellamy 52.

Att: 23,459

Ref: M Messias (N Yorkshire).