Newcastle continued their good form of late with a convincing 3-1 win over Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park on Saturday to stretch their unbeaten run to eight games, of which five have been wins.

They have scored six goals in their last two league games having scored only nine in their previous fourteen, so things are looking up these days for Geordie fans.

Newcastle played some excellent football in the first half and were deservedly ahead after 31 minutes when Obefemi Martins got onto the end of a wonderful though ball from Sibierski and dispatched the ball into the net over the diving Friedel from the edge of the penalty area. An excellent goal from Martins who is now looking better with every game and is forging a good partnership with free transfer Antoine Sibierski.

Just four minutes later and Newcastle went further ahead when 20 year old local boy Steven Taylor scored his very first Premiership goal, when he hooked home with his left foot from five yards.

Then to cap off a dour first half for the home team, Henchoz was sent off when he brought down Martins some 35 yards from goal. Once the foul had been given, referee Dermot Gallagher had no choice but to send Henchoz off, since he was the man.

So at the break things looked bad for Blackburn, but to their great credit and no doubt after some words from manager Hughes, they came out fighting in the second half. They got a goal back when Morton Ganst Pederson rifled home a screamer from all of 35 yards after 47 minutes. Blackburn then pressed for the equalizer but Given was in form (as usual) and Newcastle were always a threat on the break. In fact Martins should have scored when clear and one on one with Friedel.

In the last minute of injury time Martins did score again when he was free on the half way line and beat two men before rolling the ball into an empty net with Brad Friedel stranded upfield following a Blackburn corner. This was another fine opportunist goal from Obefemi whose confidence must now be sky high with three goals in the last two league games.

A good win for Newcastle? One would think it was an excellent win until we heard Blackburn manager Mark Hughes after the game.

He insisted the first two goals were offside, (even though TV replays proved otherwise) and Henchoz should never have been sent off because the foul was committed 40 yards from goal. The rules clearly state that a player should be shown the red card if he is the last defender and brings down a player.

Hughes must have seen a completely different game but then when you have lost eight of your last ten league games it seems excuses are always the reason. Hughes sounds almost as bad as his predecessor Grahame Siouness who the Gods were always against whenever he was beaten.

We have all heard Arsne Wenger after recent Arsenal defeats - isn’t it about time these managers showed a little magnanimity in defeat or is that just asking too much. (probably the latter).

They should all take a leaf out of Newcastle manager Glenn Roeder’s book - he had ten first teamers out and yet was talking of winning the game last Friday and duly delivered. You rarely hear Roeder complaining and even though we have many first teamers out, others are coming in and doing the job for Newcastle. Solano is a revelation at right back (this is where he played with Boca Juniors and Sporting Cristal in South America) and the center-back pairing of Ramage and Taylor, both local lads, is very solid and improving with every game.

Steven Taylor is the current England under 21 center half and England manager Steve McClaren was full of praise for him last Wednesday when he visited St. James’ Park.

Newcastle now have Solano and Emre out for at least a week so it looks like we may be playing Milner at right back for the game at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday, although nineteen year old Paul Huntington (who made his first team debut after 86 minutes ) may be drafted into the team.

Certainly Wednesday’s game should be interesting with manager Jose Mourhino already saying its three points in the bag.

Certainly Newcastle will want to keep their unbeaten streak alive - but with 12 first teamers unavailable it will be tough - but we’ll just have to wait and see.

Strange things do happen in football.