GIVEN that Craig Bellamy apparently had a personal vendetta against Graeme Souness planned, the Scot was the man to exact retribution at Ewood Park yesterday by eventually easing Newcastle United to that seemingly elusive first win of the season.

A conciliatory handshake exchanged between the pair ended Souness' big day back at his old employers, which ended with the boss earning a stay of execution.

The occasion was made more memorable when shot-shy Bellamy's expensive replacement, Michael Owen, enjoyed a more productive afternoon when he grabbed his first goal for the club.

This was an afternoon to savour for Newcastle, and captain Alan Shearer was not going to be outdone. Shearer opened the scoring with a trademark bullet into the Blackburn net and that proved the starting point for a rare Magpies victory.

The 35-year-old's seven month wait for a Premiership goal - he last scored on February 2 - at the venue where he lifted the Premiership crown, has edged him to within five of Jackie Milburn's 200 club record but, for once, this result means a lot more than that.

The pressure had been mounting on the manager's shoulders, with some suggesting he was two games from the sack, and Newcastle's nervy first-half display highlighted the atmosphere within the dressing room.

But, after Shearer and Owen had given Newcastle the two goal cushion, Charles N'Zogbia rounded goalkeeper Brad Friedel five minutes from time, with a moment of raw cheek to cement the three points that Souness hopes will be the platform for more.

Fifteen years after last claiming a league win at Ewood Park, a run that has seen Newcastle concede 19 goals in 11 matches, the crop of 2005 secured three points and a clean sheet.

Stopping Blackburn from scoring is an achievement in itself. The defence has been the subject of much consternation already this season but they kept Blackburn at bay despite playing with ten men for the last 20 minutes or so yesterday.

And now Newcastle, without Bellamy and with Owen in their ranks, are looking for a springboard to push them high up the table.

Days of claim and counter-claim in January from both Bellamy and Souness transpired after the player's non-selection at Arsenal last December, and that resulted in the Welshman departing for Celtic in January and then Blackburn.

A sign of the value of Bellamy's worth during his days at Newcastle is Shearer's goal record since his departure.

The club talisman scored 11 times alongside the Wales international last season but had found the net just once from 18 games since the fall-out prior to yesterday.

Regardless of whether or not Souness is right when he claimed his dressing room is a better place without Bellamy, even the manager would struggle to argue against the player's worth on the field.

But in Owen, at a cost of £11m more than the figure Newcastle sold the former Coventry forward for, they have a player with nearly as much speed with more of an end product in front of goal.

And Blackburn know all about the England striker's prowess in the penalty box having conceded seven of his goals in their last eight games against the 25-year-old.

But Owen's predatory instincts were missing early in this encounter when he skewed his low right foot shot wide after being fed through by Lee Bowyer.

Owen was one of the last pieces of Souness' summer spending and chairman Freddy Shepherd quite rightly demanded an immediate improvement in results for his substantial investment before jetting off on holiday last week.

Shepherd, who has sanctioned the Scot to spend over £50m in his first year in charge at St James', held three meetings with the coaching staff after the 1-1 draw with Fulham and a rapid climb up the Premiership table needs to start now.

In fairness to Souness results are only likely to be a true reflection of his side when he can field his best team. Yesterday was another occasion which acted just to highlight the extent of the injury crisis at the club.

A midfield quartet consisting of Lee Clark, N'Zogbia, Lee Bowyer and Amdy Faye, with respect, is not going to worry too many of the division's top teams.

Nevertheless that makeshift midfield - in the continued absence of Kieron Dyer, Emre, Nolberto Solano and more recently Scott Parker and Albert Luque - did compete but they struggled to get to grips with the opposition's diamond that had David Bentley pulling the strings behind the front two.

Blackburn's first half domination in the middle of the field was evident but, despite plenty of endeavour, Newcastle's goal remained intact.

In fact Blackburn's best two chances of the half both came from dead balls.

First Norwegian Morten Gamst Pedersen curled a 25-yard free-kick marginally over and then Shay Given was on hand to turn Robbie Savage's drive behind for a corner.

Even after the restart Newcastle's sluggish start continued. Celestine Babayaro's lazy pass into the middle was intercepted by Bentley.

The attacking midfielder, likened to a young Dennis Bergkamp at Highbury, darted forward before crossing into Bellamy. He held off two defenders, rolled the ball back and the onrushing Steven Reid fired over.

Seconds later Savage tried his luck with another free-kick, after Bellamy had been fouled by Taylor, but the former Birmingham man's curled effort flew into the hands of Given.

Shearer, apart from when he was called into action in his own third, and Owen were innocent by-standers and the most surprising aspect of events was Blackburn's failure to find a breakthrough.

And had it not been for Babayaro's quick-thinking the home side would have been in front.

The Nigerian's important last-ditch stop, after Bellamy had headed across goal, thwarted Reid from breaking the deadlock.

And that proved the catalyst for Newcastle to suddenly burst into life, grabbing both goals in a four minute spurt.

A rare push forward earned a free-kick 20 yards out after Ryan Nelsen's foul on Owen. Clark rolled the ball to Shearer, who struck a stunning drive into Friedel's bottom left corner.

And, moments later, Owen leaped ahead of Nelsen to head N'Zogbia's centre into Friedel's near post.

All of a sudden the gloom in Newcastle's play disappeared. They relaxed and never looked like conceding, and that was despite Taylor's dismissal for pulling at Shefki Kuqi.

Tugay had a volley fly into the stands but N'Zogbia wrapped things up in style five minutes before the end when he rounded Friedel and slotted into an empty net.

Result: Blackburn Rovers 0 Newcastle United 3.

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