English FA Premiership/ Blackburn Rovers 0 Newcastle Utd 3: Craig Bellamy started for the first time against Newcastle United since his acrimonious departure from the Tyneside club; Michael Owen scored his first Newcastle goal since his £16.5-million transfer from Real Madrid. But neither the former Newcastle No 10, nor his successor could overshadow the No 9 yesterday.
In scoring his first Premiership goal for seven months and 16 days, on potentially his last appearance at the club where he won the title, Alan Shearer rescued a quite dreadful game with a 62nd-minute shot from 20 yards that contained all the venom stoked up since February.
When Lee Clark touched a short free-kick to Shearer, the fact the Newcastle captain had barely had possession, in keeping with his and the club's dismal beginning to the season, disappeared into history as Shearer struck a genuinely unstoppable drive into Brad Friedel's bottom corner.
All the tension at the club, accumulated through poor performances and results over the past six months, was suddenly released as Shearer made for the 3,500 Geordies at the Darwen End. For the captain, the manager, the board and the fans, the collective bubble of frustration was burst and within four minutes Owen was rising with a level of confidence that hitherto had been glaringly absent to guide in a sweet header beyond Friedel.
Shearer's goal was his 195th in a black and white shirt, leaving him six short of breaking Jackie Milburn's club record. Thirteen minutes after scoring he was replaced to an ovation from all four sides of the ground.
Newcastle's Steven Taylor was sent off for picking up a second yellow card after 70 minutes for a tug on Bellamy but Charles N'Zogbia added Newcastle's third with a well-taken individual effort four minutes from time.
Few could have foreseen such skills and goals for the first hour of a match that justified the opinion of all those who consider the Premiership overblown, over-priced and perhaps over as a credible quality competition.
* Guardian Service
