Owen scores his first for Newcastle, Shearer scores for the first time in seven months, and Newcastle beat Blackburn for the first time ever at Ewood Park in the Premiership.
The Premiership.
19 September 2005
CRISIS OVER
BLACKBURN 0-3 NEWCASTLE
.....................(Shearer 62, Michael Owen 66, N'Zogbia 85)
Simon Bird reports From Ewood Park
ALAN SHEARER scored his first Premiership goal for more than seven months, new No.10 Michael Owen opened his account and the pressure on Graeme Souness's job is eased.
There's only one thing for it....text messages of commiserations all round to Craig Bellamy!
He was left frustrated, booed by the Geordie fans who once worshipped him and left without the revenge goal against Souness that he craved.
Souey couldn't have wished for a better outcome from a match where defeat could have dealt a near fatal blow to his reign. Instead of staring at a bleak future, he finished the game having his name chanted by the 4,000 Geordie fans and responded with a thumbs up.
In fact, Souness was so delighted at the final whistle he even offered Bellamy, the man who called him a liar on television and was driven out of St James' Park, a handshake - prompting a cheer from the away supporters.
"Yes, I shook Bellamy's hand. I don't bear grudges," said Souness as he called time on their row.
"I have not enjoyed this win for anything other than the three points, scoring three goals, moving up the table."
Even more remarkably, victory was achieved with an entire first choice midfield out injured or suspended, and playing with 10 men for the last 20 minutes after Steven Taylor had been sent off for one foul too many on Bellamy. With his job under threat, Souness needed the Shearer-Owen partnership to start firing. And their double yesterday will be among the most valuable Shearer has scored in terms of saving the club from another bout of soul-searching and turmoil.
United chairman Freddy Shepherd was not there to witness his club's revival, but the thunderous facial expression that greeted last week's draw with Fulham will have changed to smiles at his holiday villa in Majorca.
Souness, though, still believes the pressure is on. "Personally, the win means I will be more pleasant around my family! Do I feel more secure? Security is not something that goes hand in hand with football management!
"I am at a big club, we have to be in the top half of the table and we have spent big money. It has been a difficult start but hopefully we are now coming out of it."
Shearer had not scored in 25 hours of Premiership action dating back to February 2 last season, seven months and 16 days ago. The infamous text message Shearer received from Bellamy in January stating that his legs had gone and that he couldn't "kiss his arse" may have accounted for the extra relish in Shearer's goal celebration.
The 35-year-old likes to produce when the stakes are high, and when his critics are pointing fingers, and he rose to the occasion again yesterday.
Shearer struck on 62 minutes, hammering a powerful drive from 20 yards when Lee Clark touched a free-kick into his path.
It was his 195th for Newcastle, five short of Jackie Milburn's club scoring record. Souness added: "You'd be a fool to lose faith in Shearer given his track record. There is no desire missing. I hope he goes on a run now."
And there was more to follow. Owen's strike sealed the game four minutes later. The England forward rose to head home at the near post from a fine cross from teenager Charles N'Zogbia.
The second goal killed off Blackburn, although Bellamy still tried his best to conjure a goal and was a constant threat to Newcastle's defence. So much so that his probing running eventually did for young defender Taylor.
He tripped Bellamy to earn his first yellow card just after half time and saw red on 72 minutes when he tugged at Bellamy's shirt to halt another surge.
But even with a man down, Newcastle held on comfortably and even stretched their lead.
French left winger N'Zogbia grabbed his second goal in as many games with an ultra cool finish when he found himself clean through with only Brad Friedel to beat.
Blackburn boss Mark Hughes is now left to pick up the pieces of a damaging defeat. He said: "We felt we were very much in the game and more likely to win up to the point of their goal. We are shaking heads at how we lost that 3-0. If we had more belief we could have won comfortably."
BLACKBURN: Friedel, Neill, Khizanishvili, Nelsen, Gresko (Jansen 76), Savage, Mokoena (Tugay 67), Reid, Pedersen, Bentley (Kuqi 67), Bellamy.
NEWCASTLE: Given, Carr, Boumsong, Taylor, Babayaro, Faye, Bowyer, Clark, N'Zogbia, Shearer (Bramble 74), Owen.
ATTENDANCE: 20,275
MAN OF THE MATCH: N'Zogbia
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