Newcastle United 0 Blackburn Rovers 1

Having won their previous nine matches in all competitions, the Magpies were hoping to make it ten victories in a row for the first time in their history.

Instead, however, they saw their lead at the top of the Championship table cut to two points as Charlie Mulgrew swivelled in the box to volley home a second-half winner.

Newcastle United's Aleksandar Mitrovic jumps highest to head the ball. Photo: PA

The goal was no more than Blackburn deserved after a spirited display that saw them contain Newcastle for long spells.

Jason Steele made good second-half saves to deny Jonjo Shelvey and Ciaran Clark, but Newcastle lacked rhythm and inspiration throughout. Rafael Benitez’s decision to make six changes from the side that won at Leeds United might have reflected a desire to prioritise Tuesday’s EFL Cup quarter-final, but it backfired as the Magpies produced one of their most laboured displays of the season.

DeAndre Yedlin, Chancel Mbemba, Jesus Gamez, Isaac Hayden, Christian Atsu and Aleksandar Mitrovic all returned to the starting line-up, with the likes of Vurnon Anita, Jamaal Lascelles, Yoan Gouffran and Dwight Gayle seemingly having been saved for next week’s trip to the KC Stadium.

With so many alterations, Newcastle were understandably rusty in the opening stages, and the half-time interval arrived without the league leaders having recorded a single attempt on target.

Blackburn only managed one, and that arrived as early as the fifth minute, with Karl Darlow doing well to tip over Danny Graham’s glanced header from Liam Feeney’s right-wing cross.

The rest of the first half was a scrappy affair, with Newcastle’s attacks tending to break down when they reached Mitrovic, who struggled to retain possession with his back to goal, and Blackburn’s midfielders aiming a succession of long balls at Graham and Sam Gallagher.

Atsu came close with a 29th-minute shot that was deflected wide at the front post, and Mitrovic directed an acrobatic volley over the crossbar four minutes before the interval, but Newcastle struggled to get anywhere close to the standards they had displayed in the majority of their previous outings this season.

Atsu was something of a spectator on the left-hand side, and Ayoze Perez was similarly ineffectual in the hole behind Mitrovic.

Blackburn boss Owen Coyle will have been happy with his side’s organisation and work rate, although Atsu should at least have forced a save from Steele when he volleyed Perez’s cross wide four minutes into the second half.

Isaac Hayden drilled a long-range strike narrowly wide of the target shortly after as Newcastle finally started to display some increased intensity, but the home side’s attempts to build up a head of steam were interrupted by a serious injury to Jesus Gamez that saw the full-back leave the field on a stretcher.

Paul Dummett came on to replace him, and the substitute’s first act was to swing over a cross from the left-hand side that should have resulted in a goal.

Matt Ritchie met Dummett’s cross with a first-time volley, but the Scotsman’s side-footed effort flew harmlessly over the crossbar.

Blackburn made a change of their own moments later, bringing on Marvin Emnes, and the former Middlesbrough forward went close as he wriggled free in the area, only to drag his subsequent shot wide of the target.

The visitors were always in the game, although they were indebted to their goalkeeper on two separate occasions inside a minute as Newcastle pressed for a breakthrough.

Steele, who started his career in the North-East with Middlesbrough, pushed Shelvey’s long-range volley around the post before flinging himself to the ground to keep out Clark’s stabbed effort after the Magpies centre-half turned inside the box.

They proved crucial saves, as Blackburn’s tenacity was rewarded with 15 minutes left as they claimed the opening goal. Mulgrew was the pick of the visitors’ midfield all afternoon, and after a left-wing corner was flicked on at the front post, the Scotland international swivelled to hook home an excellent first-time volley.

Newcastle brought on Gayle in an attempt to rescue something with five minutes left, and the Championship’s leading goalscorer should really have snatched a point in stoppage time.

Ritchie crossed from the right, but while Gayle did well to create space in the area, his first-time volley flew well over the bar.

Newcastle (4-2-3-1): Darlow; Yedlin, Mbemba (Gayle 85), Clark, Gamez (Dummett 55); Shelvey, Hayden; Ritchie, Perez, Atsu; Mitrovic.

Subs (not used): Sels (gk), Lascelles, Anita, Gouffran, Diame.

Blackburn (4-4-2): Steele; Marshall, Lenihan, Mulgrew, Williams; Feeney, Lowe, Evans, Conway; Gallagher (Emnes 62), Graham.

Subs (not used): Raya (gk), Bennett, Brown, Nyambee, Akpan, Stokes.