Newcastle were outworked, out-possessed, and out-chanced today, and before stoppage when they were on the counterattack, they only scored on a Scott Dann own goal that had no business being anywhere near the net. To use a common football phrase that I despise, they didn't deserve to win, but they did. It's the kind of game that you almost feel dirty taking three points from, but then again, it's hard to feel bad about beating a team full of floppers (yes, I'm bitter, and yes, I'm looking at you, Junior Hoilett).

It's also hard to say that the win wasn't justifiable, because half of the game is defense, and while they weren't able to keep Rovers from taking their chances, they got multiple clearances and blocks from Danny Simpson and Fabricio Coloccini, and Tim Krul was huge as well, making every stop he had to, especially on a David Dunn penalty at the end of the first half.

If anything, this game highlights the importance of scoring first, as Blackburn spent most of the game chasing the ball and pressing their chances, while Newcastle had the luxury of sitting back and, well, mostly sitting back. It was ugly, but it's three points, and we don't have to see the Rovers again until next season. More importantly, Demba Ba and Papiss Cisse will join the team for the next fixture with Aston Villa. If Newcastle can only manage an own goal at that point, then we have a problem.