6 mins: Kieron Dyer's second Premiership goal of the year and first away in the league since February 2003 had given us an early lead, the midfielder latching on to Robert's through ball and beating 'keeper Friedel in a one-on-one, firing home an angled low drive from 18 yards at the Blackburn End. 1-0

25mins: A year to the day that he'd netted against us for Leicester, Paul Dickov took advantage of some woeful defending by United to level.

Dickov was fouled by O'Brien outside our box and when Ferguson stepped up to take a quick free kick, he simply knocked it through to his fellow Scot, who had wandered forward totally unmarked and had the easiest of tasks to beat Given, as our defence hibernated. 1-1

38mins: Flitcroft was yellow-carded for upending Dyer some thirty five yards from goal. Up stepped Robert to bend a powerful free around the Rovers defensive wall, dropping into the nearside corner of the goal - Friedel caught out of position preparing to defend the top corner of the goal to his right, only to see the ball end up low to his left as he scrambled across in vain. 2-1

Half time: Rovers 1 United 2

61mins: Twice in the previous three minutes the ball had been loose in the Newcastle area, as every forward ball by Rovers caused consternation in our backline.

Andy O'Brien had blocked one effort and cleared another, but when Robert fouled Stead and Neill sent the free kick in from the right flank, David Thompson shot at goal from 25 yards.

Given was equal to that one, but crucially palmed the ball back into the centre of his box, from where Andy Todd reacted first to scoop the ball home, with Dickov on hand in case the defender didn't connect. 2-2 

Full time: Rovers 2 United 2

Graeme Souness said:

Our final away game of 2004 saw us start reasonably well, only to fall apart and end up a confused, rag bag of a side barely worthy of the term "team."

Ahead again, we proved unable to defend a lead not once but twice - the method of delivery for both home goals coming as no surprise, as we had conceded free kicks within striking distance of our goal at an alarming rate all afternoon.

But 2-1 ahead with a reasonable first half behind us and a second 45 attacking the vocal toon end, there was at least some ground for optimism amongst the black and whites that a corner had been turned in this increasingly moribund season.

However, that again proved unfounded as we played second fiddle to Rovers and reshuffled or defence twice to try and plug the all-too evident holes that appeared.

But while it's tempting to write that the Newcastle attack did its job and the defence screwed things up, that's very far from the reality over the whole ninety minutes.  

Chief culprits were Dyer, Robert and Ameobi, although Bellamy was also largely anonymous, until he popped up in the closing stages to stab his effort wide.

Kluivert had failed to reappear after half time (hamstring apparently) and his replacement Ameobi wandered aimlessly around up front, as both Milner and Dyer struggled to get into the game and Jenas proved incapable of finding a team mate with a pass - any sort of pass..... 

Net result? The ball came back again and again towards our area.

Robert had given us an industrious first half, with an assist, a goal and a couple of interventions, but rested on his laurels in the second period, basking in the adulation of the crowd. Had we had a viable alternative on the bench, Souness would surely have taken him off - and to blazes with the reaction of the travelling fans. 

No, our attacking options were non-existent and the defence were left as exposed as at any time this season - no matter what level of fitness Shearer currently has, he would have been an asset here today for his presence alone and the ability to hold the ball while we cleared our lines. None of the players on view today can do that - Kluivert possibly could, but his Diva status seems to preclude tackling, being tackled or competing for 50/50 balls - hardly the actions of a great centre forward.

Once back at 2-2, neither side did enough to force a winner, with a belated rally from Newcastle floundering twice on the edge of the area as Jenas inexplicably back-heeled the ball and lost possession.

The final moments of the game were completed under the watchful eye of fourth official Uriah Rennie, who took over whistling duties from the injured Matt Messias.

However, even though it was the second anniversary of his infamous display at Bolton, Rennie didn't get the opportunity to heap further misery on United or Souness in the remaining minutes - perhaps it was a good thing after all though that Shearer wasn't on the field.....

So, four draws and two defeats from our last six games in all competitions - and only two wins in 12 Premiership games.

The last time we shared four goals at Ewood, we celebrated qualification for the Champions League, but December 2004 is a world away from the carefree days of April 2002.

Fans, manager and media alike all eagerly await the turn of the year for the promised arrivals and departures, but it's hard to see who will be tempted by our discards - while the Ewood cupboard looks equally bare and none of the Rovers players on show today enhanced their chances of a relocation to the North East in 2005......  

Two well-taken goals apart, we verged on the shambolic again today - but not against a team in form or one of the big boys. Instead we looked no better than a struggling Rovers side - the ghosts of Souness past and Souness present.

For the Manager, there's no let-up in pressure, the first open signs of dissent coming from Newcastle fans today - a more tangible threat to him than text messages and punters panelists.

Precisely what form of torture awaits us at the hands of Wenger and Co. on home soil this Wednesday remains to be seen, but a repeat of the fitful and circumspect contributions from some quarters today will result only in another televised humiliation. 

The concept of playing for 90 minutes seems to be an alien one to our midfield and attack - at least Kluivert had the excuse of not being on the field, but for Dyer and Robert it was a case of missing persons in the second 45.   

And in defence, looking liable to buckle at the slightest hint of pressure from an Arsenal reject like Dickov doesn't engender confidence that we'll deal with the real thing, even putting aside the multiple changes in personnel and position in our back four today, which did little to solidify things.

It's exactly a year since Freddy Shepherd was quoted as having said:

"What has happened since the start of the season is just not on.

"It's not acceptable to the directors and board of Newcastle United or to our supporters and we're not going to put up with it.

"I'm talking about everyone here from the manager downwards.

"The management and players of this football club are given Rolls-Royce treatment but we're not getting Rolls-Royce performances from them in return."

At that point we were in 6th spot, with 26 points. A year on and it's 14th with 22 points but a game more played.

What the Chairman thinks about that isn't known. Yet. 

Biffa

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