Premier League: Blackburn 0 Newcastle 2

Newcastle United rode their luck at times but did enough to defeat Blackburn Rovers 2-0 at Ewood Park on Wednesday.

A Scott Dann own goal and a late Gabriel Obertan effort sealed all three points for Newcastle, who moved above Liverpool and Arsenal into fifth spot on the English Premier League table with their victory.

But Blackburn will be scratching their head as to how they came away from the game with nothing, with a saved penalty from David Dunn and a host of squandered chances costing Steve Kean’s side.

After a slow start, the visitors took the lead after 12 minutes in freak fashion.

Ryan Taylor – who replaced the suspended Yohan Cabaye in the Newcastle starting line-up – lashed a strike at goal from 20 yards that was heading well wide, only to hit Dann’s boot and take a wicked deflection.

Dann’s intervention sent the ball in the opposite direction and Blackburn goalkeeper Paul Robinson could only watch as Alan Pardew’s side took an early lead.

Blackburn nearly produced a quick response but Danny Simpson cleared Gael Givet’s header off the line while French forward Anthony Modeste, in his first start for Rovers after joining on loan from Bordeaux, had a shot well blocked by Fabricio Coloccini.

Only the woodwork saved Newcastle’s Leon Best from scoring an embarrassing own goal after a Morten Gamst Pedersen corner, but Blackburn were given a perfect chance to level the scoreline after Simpson brought down Modeste inside the penalty area on the stroke of half-time.

Experienced midfielder David Dunn stepped up to take the penalty but saw his effort well saved by Tim Krul, who has been one of Newcastle’s stand-out performers this season.

Rovers were not afforded the same amount of chances in the second half but Modeste was still causing Newcastle problems, although he did fail to convert any of the half-chances which fell his way.

Substitute Mauro Formica fired into the side netting from close range and it looked like it just would not be Blackburn’s night.

And that was confirmed when the visitors bagged the crucial second goal in injury time as former Manchester United winger Obertan took advantage of gaps at the back to score his first Newcastle goal.