Anthony Gordon’s goal was his ninth of the season for Newcastle but his first in the FA Cup
Newcastle beat Blackburn in a dramatic penalty shootout to edge into the FA Cup quarter-finals after a pulsating fifth-round tie at Ewood Park.
Martin Dubravka was Newcastle’s hero, pushing Dominic Hyam’s penalty on to the post after also saving from Sammie Szmodics, who had earlier scored in normal time.
Harvey Barnes missed his spot-kick for the Premier League side, but Fabian Schar, Bruno Guimaraes, Elliot Anderson and Anthony Gordon scored their attempts to take them through.
Gordon had put Newcastle ahead in the 71st minute with a first-time finish after a bright run from substitute Miguel Almiron down the right wing. It came just after Gordon had been denied by Rovers goalkeeper Aynsley Pears when through on goal.
But Blackburn, 16th in the second tier, were only behind for eight minutes.
Szmodics grabbed his 24th goal of the season in all competitions, reacting quickest to convert the rebound after Dubravka had acrobatically touched Dilan Markanday’s shot on to the underside of the crossbar.
Blackburn nearly won it in the third minute of injury-time, but Yasin Ayari’s strike was blocked by Dubravka’s legs to take the tie to extra time.
Schar, Gordon, Sean Longstaff, Dan Burn and Guimaraes also missed good chances for the visitors, with Szmodics having another effort saved in a breathless extra-time period, before the tie was settled by spot-kicks.
The draw for the quarter-finals takes place at 19:00 GMT on Wednesday, before Chelsea’s home meeting with Leeds on ITV4, with the ties played over the weekend of 16 March.
Newcastle hope for ‘special’ end to tough campaign
The ending was harsh on Rovers captain Hyam and fellow defender Wharton, who had been named player of the match after a superb performance that included a fantastic goalline block in extra time to deny Guimaraes.
The penalties took place in front of Newcastle’s travelling fans, with 7,430 of them attending to create a superb atmosphere. The crowd of 22,730 was the highest for a Blackburn match at Ewood Park since 27,600 witnessed a League One promotion party against Oxford United on 5 May, 2018.
And the fans were treated to a thriller, with a crackling atmosphere in Lancashire.
The result meant Newcastle can still salvage something from a season that promised so much, but has seen a string of disappointments.
Before the game, Newcastle boss Eddie Howe said the campaign could “still be very special” and they are now one match away from playing at Wembley in the semi-finals.
The Magpies came fourth in the Premier League last year to qualify for the Champions League for the first time after a 20-year absence, but are down in 10th with a top-four spot seemingly beyond them.
European football for 2024-25 remains a hope, albeit with the Europa League and Europa Conference League considered more viable targets.
Newcastle are now in the last eight of the FA Cup, with the tournament winners earning a spot in the Europa League, while they also aim to win their first major trophy since 1955.
But they were pushed all the way by their opponents, who are only four points above the Championship relegation zone.
Boss John Eustace, who was only appointed in February after Jon Dahl Tomasson resigned, urged his side to play with freedom and enjoy their experience.
He was not to be disappointed as Rovers were the better side in the first half, with Szmodics impressing throughout.
But Dubravka stood firm, denying Szmodics and Hyam when it mattered most, as Newcastle scraped through.
Home fans protest against owners
After 14 minutes of the match, there was a brief stoppage as between 15-20 tennis balls were thrown on to the pitch from fans in the corner of the Ronnie Clayton Blackburn End – the end Rovers were defending in the first half.
“We want Venky’s out,” was the chant from some home fans as they vented their anger at the club’s owners.
There have been similar protests using tennis balls in many Bundesliga matches recently, with fans protesting against an investment proposal by the German Football Association, which has since been dropped in Germany.
While the Bundesliga protests normally forced a delay of about 10 minutes and teams sometimes left the pitch, the tennis balls were quickly cleared at Ewood Park.
Former Blackburn midfielder Danny Murphy, speaking on BBC One, felt it showed the club still had to solve their off-field issues. He said: “We had five managers in one season and there was discontent then.
“The reality is that there has not been any stability for this club. It is a great club as well. Still a lot of great people still here. It should be doing better.”
Player of the match
Szmodics Sammie Szmodics
Blackburn Rovers
Squad number8Player nameSzmodics
Squad number24Player nameMoran
Squad number10Player nameDolan
Squad number2Player nameBrittain
Squad number55Player nameMcFadzean
Squad number44Player nameAyari
Squad number16Player nameS Wharton
Squad number5Player nameHyam
Squad number18Player nameMarkanday
Squad number21Player nameBuckley
Squad number1Player namePears
Squad number14Player nameKoumetio
Squad number45Player nameChrisene
Squad number9Player nameGallagher
Squad number30Player nameGarrett
Squad number7Player nameSigurdsson
Newcastle United
Squad number1Player nameDúbravka
Squad number10Player nameGordon
Squad number24Player nameAlmirón
Squad number32Player nameAnderson
Squad number39Player nameBruno Guimarães
Squad number21Player nameLivramento
Squad number5Player nameSchär
Squad number33Player nameBurn
Squad number67Player nameMiley
Squad number28Player nameWillock
Squad number14Player nameIsak
Squad number23Player nameMurphy
Squad number2Player nameTrippier
Squad number6Player nameLascelles
Squad number15Player nameBarnes
Squad number36Player nameS Longstaff
Line-ups
Blackburn
Formation 3-4-2-1
1Pears
5Hyam55McFadzean16S Wharton
2Brittain21Buckley24Moran45Chrisene
10Dolan9Gallagher
8 Smodics
1Pears5Hyam55McFadzeanSubstituted forKoumetioat 72’minutes16S Wharton2Brittain21BuckleySubstituted forGarrettat 64’minutes24MoranBooked at 18minsSubstituted forAyariat 63’minutesBooked at 118mins45ChriseneBooked at 110mins10DolanSubstituted forMarkandayat 64’minutes9GallagherSubstituted forSigur dssonat 45’minutes8SzmodicsSubstitutes3Pickering7Sigurdsson12Wahlstedt14Koumetio18Markanday30Garrett33Telalovic42Finneran44Ayari
Newcastle
Formation 4-3-3
1Dúbravka
2Trippier6Lascelles5Schär33Burn
36S Longstaff39Bruno Guimarães28Willock
23Murphy14Isak10Gordon
1Dúbravka2TrippierSubstituted forLivramentoat 90’minutes6LascellesBooked at 103mins5Schär33Burn36S LongstaffBooked at 120mins39Bruno Guimarães28WillockSubstituted forMileyat 62’minutesSubstituted forAndersonat 116’minutes23MurphySubstituted forAlmirónat 62’minutes14IsakSubstituted forBarnesat 62’minutes10GordonSubstitutes11Ritchie15Barnes17Krafth18Karius20Hall21Livramento24Almirón32Anderson67Miley
Referee:Jarred Gillett
Attendance:22,730
Live Text
Match ends, Blackburn Rovers 1(3), Newcastle United 1(4).
Penalty Shootout ends, Blackburn Rovers 1(3), Newcastle United 1(4).
Penalty saved. Dominic Hyam (Blackburn Rovers) right footed shot saved in the bottom left corner.
Goal! Blackburn Rovers 1(3), Newcastle United 1(4). Anthony Gordon (Newcastle United) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the centre of the goal.
Goal! Blackburn Rovers 1(3), Newcastle United 1(3). Yasin Ayari (Blackburn Rovers) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the centre of the goal.
Goal! Blackburn Rovers 1(2), Newcastle United 1(3). Elliot Anderson (Newcastle United) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom left corner.
Goal! Blackburn Rovers 1(2), Newcastle United 1(2). Arnór Sigurdsson (Blackburn Rovers) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom left corner.
Goal! Blackburn Rovers 1(1), Newcastle United 1(2). Bruno Guimarães (Newcastle United) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the centre of the goal.
Goal! Blackburn Rovers 1(1), Newcastle United 1(1). Callum Brittain (Blackburn Rovers) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom left corner.
Penalty saved. Harvey Barnes (Newcastle United) right footed shot saved in the bottom right corner.
Penalty saved. Sammie Szmodics (Blackburn Rovers) right footed shot saved in the bottom left corner.
Goal! Blackburn Rovers 1, Newcastle United 1(1). Fabian Schär (Newcastle United) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom right corner.
Penalty Shootout begins Blackburn Rovers 1, Newcastle United 1.
Second Half Extra Time ends, Blackburn Rovers 1, Newcastle United 1.
Tino Livramento (Newcastle United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Scott Wharton (Blackburn Rovers).
Sean Longstaff (Newcastle United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Sean Longstaff (Newcastle United).
Ben Chrisene (Blackburn Rovers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Offside, Blackburn Rovers. Sammie Szmodics is caught offside.