FIERY Craig Bellamy repaid the faith shown in him by Sir Bobby Robson last night by firing in the goal that should have kept Newcastle United's push for a Champions League place on track.

However, another strike from young striker Jon Stead, whose goal secured the points for Blackburn at Middlesbrough on Saturday, five minutes before time ensured Newcastle dropped out of the highly-coveted top four.

Robson had been itching to hand the temperamental striker a return to the starting line-up after bouncing back from a career-threatening tendinitis operation.

But Bellamy's reluctance to play from the first whistle faded after a meeting with his boss this week and he marked his return to the first team by scoring Newcastle's only goal at Blackburn last night, though it was not enough to secure only their third away League victory of the season.

The Welshman's first Premiership goal of the campaign was the perfect riposte to a confrontation with Rovers' Lucas Neill just before half-time.

A close, at times tetchy, encounter threatened to boil over when Bellamy, in for the unfortunate Shola Ameobi, flung an arm at Neill as the pair walked towards the tunnel and had to be separated.

The Newcastle star fumed after he was left sprawled on the floor near the corner flag following a lunge from the Australian, which was not even deemed a foul by York referee Matt Messias.

But shortly after the restart, Bellamy was on hand to fire Laurent Robert's teasing long throw beyond impressive Blackburn keeper Brad Friedel.

It was exactly what Newcastle craved, particularly as the normally dependable Alan Shearer failed to find the net for the sixth successive game - an uncharacteristic spell of 626 minutes without scoring.

But Stead marked his home debut by grabbing his second goal for Blackburn since a £1m-plus move up from the Third Division to dent Newcastle's progress.

Bellamy was one of three Newcastle changes to the side which secured fourth place for the first time this season on Saturday by overcoming Leicester.

As expected, Jonathan Woodgate missed out on the chance to impress the watching England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson after picking up a groin strain. That meant a start for Titus Bramble at the heart of the defence for the first time since January 7.

There was also a recall for Robert - at the expense of Hugo Viana - when he was deemed fully fit by Robson after returning from an appointment with a knee specialist in Paris on Monday. There was not even a place on the bench for on loan Michael Bridges.

Rovers boss Graeme Souness bowed to pressure from Andy Cole and recalled the former Tyneside hero against his old employers at the expense of lively teenager Paul Gallagher.

The 18-year-old's goal proved the only difference between the two sides when they met in December; the only Premiership defeat inflicted on Newcastle during a 12- game run building up to last night's contest.

There were a number of away supporters who missed the kick-off because of difficult conditions on the road, with dense fog covering much of the Lancashire town.

Those who did arrive late nearly missed an earlier Bellamy goal on his first start since October. However, lacking a little sharpness, he failed to bring Gary Speed's header over the top down at the first attempt and when he finally did control possession his shot was saved by Friedel.

Whatever hoodoo Newcastle have carried with them to Ewood in the past - they have never won there in the Premiership, nor have they won a top-flight fixture since the 1960-61 campaign - they seemed to be carrying it with them again.

Cole, who suggested he had nothing to prove to anyone after being dropped for the trip to Teesside, started like a man striving to do exactly the opposite as he looked for his 11th goal against Newcastle.

It was the former Manchester United star's challenge on O'Brien that led to the ball falling into the path of Stead. The former Huddersfield Town man took a touch before rifling a crisp drive straight into the hands of Shay Given.

Both Cole, with a right-foot shot, and Markus Babbel, a free header from Brett Emerton's left-wing centre, had great opportunities to open the scoring when they were allowed space in the box, but neither found the target.

That sparked Newcastle's best spell of the opening half. But, just as Boro found at the weekend, Rovers keeper Friedel was in no mood to concede.

The American did well to block instictively on the line from a close-range Speed effort, and seconds later the experienced midfielder saw his low drive pushed around the post by the keeper.

Friedel was not finished and he expertly tipped a rasping shot from Shearer away for a corner before getting down low to deny the visiting skipper, who remains Newcastle's record £15m buy when he left Blackburn in 1996, his first goal in ten games when he headed down a Robert corner.

The clash between Neill and Bellamy on the stroke of half-time provided the spark to ignite proceedings after the restart.

And the latter had the last laugh when he was on hand to fire high into the net seven minutes after half-time.

Bellamy, poaching at the back post, reacted first when the ball missed everyone and his left-foot shot on the turn proved too powerful for Friedel to handle.

Blackburn, who introduced Gallagher with 21 minutes remaining, pushed hard for the equaliser, but Newcastle defended resolutely until Stead, unmarked at the back post, fired past a helpless Given from Gallagher's right-wing cross.

Result: Blackburn Rovers 1 Newcastle United 1.

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