THEY say revenge is a dish best served cold and Andy Todd gained his by grabbing the goal that denied Graeme Souness a winning return to a freezing Ewood Park.
Todd found the net for the first time since April 2003 to earn Rovers a point from a game where they twice fought back from a goal down.
And he might have sealed all three for Mark Hughes's plucky battlers had his late header crept inside Shay Given's left-hand post rather than just past the upright.
Nevertheless, Todd will have relished heaping further misery on Souness at a time when his position at Newcastle is coming under increasing scrutiny.
Last season, Todd and Souness were involved in an acrimonious bust-up that threatened to spell the end of the defender's Blackburn career.
Todd's refusal to be a substitute in a game against Leeds United prompted Souness to slap him on the transfer list and he vowed never to select the 30-year-old again.
However, Souness's subsequent departure for Tyneside offered Todd the chance of redemption and he has seized it with both hands, so much so that he's become an integral part of Hughes's plans for the future.
Now the Blackburn boss hopes to persuade Todd to sign a new contract in the new year, which is some turnaround for a player who was heading for the exit door barely four months ago.
Rovers were trailing 2-1 when Todd suddenly pounced to snatch a point in the 54th minute with a less than convincing finish from six yards out.
It was hardly a vintage strike from the former Bolton and Charlton defender but it was laced with significance, given the history between him and the man prowling the visiting technical area.
"I've been delighted with Andy," said Hughes, reflecting on the defender's contribution over the last three months.
"He's been first class since I've brought him back into the team and I was pleased for him when he scored today.
"He took his goal really well and he possibly might have got a second.
"But overall I'm delighted with him and we'll be talking to him about his contract situation in the new year."
In fairness, Rovers deserved at least a point following another gutsy home performance.
Newcastle twice took the lead in a rip-roaring first half courtesy of goals from Kieron Dyer and the maverick Frenchman Laurent Robert.
But if Hughes has instilled one quality in his players since inheriting them off Souness then it's character in abundance.
No team has come from
behind more times in the Premiership than Rovers this season and they did it once again here as first Paul Dickov and then Todd conjured up priceless equalisers.
"I was pleased with our second half performance," said Hughes.
"I thought we started off slowly in the first half which wasn't what I was looking for.
"You need to start games quickly to get the tempo of the game but we didn't do that and we got caught cold as a result.
"The first goal was poor from our part and by all accounts, they had two shots and scored two goals in the first half which was a disappointment.
"But once again the lads have shown great resolve to come back twice in a game and possibly a few months ago that might have been beyond them.
"So that's one defeat in nine, which is a good stat, but we know we could have improved on that today with a win."
Ironically, Souness went into the game under more pressure than Hughes, even though United were above Rovers in the table.
The Magpies had won only one of their previous eight league games and had plummeted from the top six to the bottom eight in the three months since Souness succeeded Sir Bobby Robson in the St James' hot seat.
In contrast, Rovers had lost just once in their previous eight outings, a run which had lifted Hughes's side out of the bottom three.
But a win at Ewood continues to prove elusive, Rovers having tasted victory only once on home soil all season.
The players' determination to put that right was evident from the off and they tested Newcastle's notoriously leaky defence twice inside the opening five minutes.
Dickov's neat flick released Steven Reid in the area but he failed to pick out Stead with an over-hit cross.
Then the Republic of Ireland international had a header booted off the line by Robert after he had risen to meet a Brett Emerton corner.
But just as Rovers were beginning to settle into their stride, disaster struck in the sixth minute.
Robert picked up the ball in space on the left and curled a pass in behind a square-looking Blackburn defence for Dyer to race on to.
The England midfielder looked suspiciously offside but the flag stayed down and Dyer homed in on goal before gathering his composure to tuck a low drive under the advancing Brad Friedel.
That knocked the stuffing out of Rovers and for a spell, panic set in at the back.
But as the half wore on, they gradually began to gain the upper hand.
Dickov went close with a header, then a neat interchange between Flitcroft, Stead and Ferguson resulted in the latter warming the hands of Shay Given from distance.
The pressure finally told in the 26th minute when United conceded a free kick on the edge of their own box and the quick-thinking Ferguson slipped a clever pass into Dickov who turned in the area before clipping a neat finish beyond Given.
Suddenly, Rovers were bubbling and there was an extra spring in their step .
Robbie Elliott was lucky to escape with a booking when he hauled Stead to the ground on the edge of the area.
Then at the opposite end, Flitcroft, who was more fired up than most, hurtled into one challenge too many on Dyer for referee Matt Messias's liking and he awarded a free kick to United some 35 yards out.
That was Robert's cue to line up one of his trademark left-footed rocket shots and he duly bent an exquisite effort inside Friedel's near post.
That was rough justice on Rovers, who hardly deserved to go in trailing at the break, but some words of encouragement from Hughes at half-time and the introduction of David Thompson saw them emerge for the second half with renewed vigour.
Within moments, Thompson had crafted an opening for Ferguson, only for Given to repel his shot at the near post.
But that reprieve proved only temporary as parity was duly restored once again in the 54th minute.
Ferguson cut inside from the right and unleashed a dipping drive from distance which Given could only parry straight to Todd, the man whose Blackburn career had looked dead and buried under Souness.
His finish was far from convincing but there was just enough purchase on the ball to carry it into the net.
In the final half hour, the game became increasingly stretched.
Craig Bellamy missed a golden chance for Newcastle, then Todd planted a diving header just wide of the post for Rovers.
Had that gone in, his revenge would have been complete.
Newcastle (4-4-2): Given; Elliott, O'Brien, Hughes, Taylor; Jenas, Dyer, Milner, Robert; Kluivert, Bellamy. Subs: Ameobi (for Kluivert, 46), Bramble (for Elliott, 60), Bernard (for Milner, 70) Not used: Harper, N'Zogbia
Referee: Mr M Messias (South Yorkshire) 7
Bookings: Rovers; Flitcroft Newcastle; Elliott, Robert
Sendings off: None
Attendance: 29,271
