Blackburn finally won for the first time in four League games with a hard fought 3-1 victory at home to Newcastle.

A dull first period sprung into life with four goals in the second half as Rovers came from behind to give boss Mark Hughes his 50th win in the Premier League.

Roque Santa Cruz should have scored in the first half when he had only goalkeeper Shay Given to beat and it looked like that miss might prove costly when Newcastle took the lead early in the second half through an Obafemi Martins header.

David Bentley quickly restored parity with a delightfully curled free kick from 25 yards and after the home side had survived a tremendous goalmouth scramble in the six yard box they took the lead through the former Arsenal player.

Bentley fired in a low shot from 25 yards which found the back of the net via the foot of the post.

With Newcastle pouring forward for the equaliser they where always vulnerable on the break and deep into injury time Tugay clipped home the third.

For Hughes it was not only a welcome three points but a fifth consecutive victory against opponents from the North East.

"We had a big disappointment in midweek when defensive errors cost us dear," said Hughes.

"I thought today in the first half we were a bit flat but improved in the second half and in a strange kind of way their goal livened us up and we began to work even harder to change things around.

"We had to dig in at the end when they were throwing bodies forward but we came through it in the end with some quality goals.

"It was important we got back on level terms as quickly as possible."

The Rovers chief also acknowledged that luck can also play its part as with Bentley's goal off the post.

"Luck is always prevalent in football matches, you have to have it. Today there were a few situations were the ball hit bodies and two incredible goalmouth scrambles.

"You just hope you'll get the run of the ball which is something we didn't last Wednesday - today it hits the post and goes in, on another day it doesn't."