Dietmar Hamann's fifth goal of the season spared FA Cup Finalists Newcastle
United's blushes as Blackburn left the Premiership in defiant mood.
The German capped a fine individual performance with a 51st-minute equaliser
after Jason Wilcox had given Blackburn a first-half lead in a largely
uninspiring contest.
But with several big guns missing, United were unable to put on the
morale-boosting show for which they were hoping just six days before they face
Manchester United at Wembley.
Three of the previous four games between the sides this season had finished
level, so it was hardly a surprise that they finished all square at the fifth
time of asking.
United boss Ruud Gullit will have been pleased to see Andy Griffin complete
his comeback from injury with no ill-effects, and Stephen Glass get through 38
minutes as a substitute, but Silvio Maric is yet to impress the Tyneside public
and Aaron Hughes failed to prove that he is the definitive answer to the absence
of Steve Howey.
Gullit may be playing his FA Cup Final cards close to his chest, but injuries
more than anything else meant that his line-up gave few hints as to the 11 men
who will start at Wembley next weekend.
Alan Shearer's muscle strain meant he was rested, while Duncan Ferguson's bout
of cold gave him an unwanted afternoon off.
Maric and Temuri Ketsbaia were handed the striking duties, while Griffin and
Hughes returned at the back in place of Didier Domi and Dave Beharall.
Kevin Gallacher and Marlon Broomes were drafted in for Matt Jansen and
Stephane Henchoz as Blackburn looked to at least end their Premiership tenure on
an encouraging note.
But if the crowd expected a pulsating game, they were to be sadly disappointed
as Newcastle suffered another bout of the jitters and Rovers packed men behind
the ball in the early stages.
It was Gallacher who got in the first shot as Rob Lee gave the ball away
inside his own half with seven minutes gone, but his effort failed to trouble
Harper.
Lee almost made amends within seconds as he got on the end of Nolberto
Solano's near-post cross but could not get his effort on target, preserving
Shearer's position as the only Englishman to have scored for the Magpies so far
this season.
Lee Carsley got in an important header to intercept Solano's corner as it
seemed destined for the head of Nicos Dabizas, and Filan did well to keep out
Solano's driven 19th-minute shot, although Maric's attempt to get to the rebound
ended in an unconvincing dive.
Gary Croft's tackle prevented Maric getting in a close-range shot on 26
minutes, but it took a magnificent save from Filan seconds later to keep out
Hamann's stunning volley.
Filan was in the thick of the action, and he was both hero and villain within
seconds as he conceded a free-kick six yards out when he handled Broomes'
back-pass.
The keeper bravely blocked Hamann's blistering drive, and Solano curled the
rebound over the bar as Rovers escaped.
And they took full advantage of their let-off eight minutes before the break
when Ashley Ward got the better of Hughes and pulled the ball back for Wilcox to
guide a low shot past Steve Harper's dive and into the bottom corner.
Filan's heroics in getting in the way of Hamann's earlier shot had taken their
toll, and it was Tim Flowers who emerged for the second half in his place, with
Damien Johnson also replacing David Dunn.
Whatever Gullit said at half-time, it certainly made a difference as United
came out with all guns blazing.
Maric, still without a goal since his £3.5million move from Croatia Zagreb,
passed up an opportunity to open his account on 50 minutes when Hamann broke and
slipped past Darren Peacock before crossing to the far post where Maric could
only hit the bar.
But his side's disappointment was short-lived as Hamann collected Ketsbaia's
pass and smashed a low shot past Flower's outstretched right arm
United were denied what looked like a penalty when Griffin was felled by
Callum Davidson as he chased Speed's pass, but it took an excellent save from
Harper to keep his side on level terms as Wilcox fired in a left-foot volley on
63 minutes.
From the resulting corner, Ward fired over from point-blank range after
Peacock had got his head to Wilcox's cross, and Dabizas had to clear after
Gillespie used his pace to get past Griffin on the Rovers left.
Louis Saha, on for Ketsbaia, shot high over the bar from Maric's pass on 73
minutes as Newcastle pushed for a winner, and the Frenchman could not hit the
target six minutes later after meeting substitute Stephen Glass' cross at the
near post.
The game drifted aimlessly towards its conclusion, but Harper again came to
the rescue in injury time to turn Lee Carsley's volley over the bar.
Teams:
Newcastle: Harper, Barton, Hughes, Dabizas, Griffin, Solano,
Hamann, Lee (Glass 51), Speed, Ketsbaia (Saha 63), Maric.
Subs Not Used: Given, Beharall, McClen.
Goals: Hamann 51.
Blackburn: Filan (Flowers 45), Dunn (Johnson 45), Peacock,
Broomes, Davidson, Carsley, Croft, Gillespie, Wilcox,
Gallacher (Taylor 54), Ward.
Subs Not Used: Duff, Dailly.
Booked: Wilcox.
Goals: Wilcox 37.
Att: 36,623
Ref: J Winter (Stockton-on-Tees).
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