IT was in added time, at the end of the first half of extra time in this third round replay that the turning point in the tie came.

Rovers, good value for taking the Premier League side all the way, will have felt aggrieved when, from an offside position, Joselu turned in after David Raya had spilled a long range shot to put the Magpies 3-2 up.

VAR, in use in the first game at St James’ Park, would have cleared it up but sadly it wasn’t deployed for the replay and the goal stood.

The final 15 minutes had barely restarted before the tie was put beyond any doubt as Ayoze Perez escaped Lewis Travis’ attentions to slam the ball home.

The 4-2 scoreline was harsh on Rovers who across both games were more than a match for the Magpies.

They responded to falling two behind in the first quarter to take the game all the way as Adam Armstrong and Darragh Lenihan cancelled out early goals from Newcastle pair Sean Longstaff and Cal Roberts.

It was a case of two makeshift sides, Rovers’ cause not helped by injury and illness, while Newcastle had the small matter of a crunch weekend Premier League game with Cardiff City high on their priority list.

The Rovers fans hadn’t had time to figure out how Tony Mowbray had set up his team before they fell behind. Amari’i Bell, drafted in as part of a back three, was the unfortunate man who got in the way of Longstaff’s effort and deflect it beyond a wrong-footed David Raya with just 56 seconds on the watch.

Rovers afforded the visitors too much space in the first half and Matt Richie went close to a second, holding off Ryan Nyambe, only to be denied by Raya.

Rovers almost levelled with their first meaningful attack but Danny Graham’s shot drifted just wide of the target after the striker was picked out by Richie Smallwood.

But the home side’s makeshift backline continued be exposed at the other end. Lenihan and Bell challenged for the same ball, only to collide with each other and allow Josh Murphy a clean run at goal. Raya stood firm to deny his first shot, but after Nyambe was brushed aside, he cut the ball back for Roberts to sweep home in the 21st minute.

It threatened to be a chastening experience for Rovers, who looked unbalanced, with as many as four players being asked to play in an unusual position.

One of those in a familiar role was Graham, and he used his strength to good effect to collect a Travis pass, and rolled his marker to play in Adam Armstrong who turned the ball beyond Freddie Woodman to halve the deficit.

Even without Charlie Mulgrew, out injured with a hamstring problem, Rovers looked a threat at set plays.

They went close when a bullet Lenihan header flashed over but there was no answer to a similar routine on the stroke of half time, the Irishman meeting a Harrison Reed corner at full throttle to power a header beyond Woodman.

Mowbray opted against a half time switch, in personnel or formation, but there was more intensity to Rovers’ play in what would transpire to be a rousing second half showing.

They almost forced themselves ahead, only for Ben Brereton to turn wide on the stretch.

At the other end Richie and Joselu fired over and then wide while Isaac Hayden was denied by the outside of the post.

With the game evenly poised Rovers sent on Bradley Dack for the injured Reed. The stage seemed set for the substitute as he lined up a 25 yard effort five minutes from time, only to snatch at it, and his strike flew wide.

Rovers were doing much of the pressing, with Craig Conway’s effort deflected into the arms of Woodman in the final seconds.

There were tired bodies as the game ticked in to extra time where Rovers threatened first, sub Joe Nuttall glancing a Bell cross wide. But the golden chance came just before the break as Conway headed in to the path of Dack, whose shot beat Woodman but went inches wide.

Then, in added time, Joselu pounced to turn home after Raya spilled a Schar shot, before Rovers, still reeling, were undone by a quick break as Perez put the game beyond doubt.