Blackburn 4-3 Newcastle (aet) - Givet grabs last minute winner for Rovers

Frenchman Gael Givet ended Newcastle United's brave resistance - and sent battling Blackburn Rovers into the Carling Cup last eight.

Centre-half Givet headed in from a couple of yards out after Chris Samba nodded on a Morten Gamst Pedersen free kick in the 119th minute of a thriller.

It was the third time Steve Kean's Rovers had to win the contest as Alan Pardew's persistent side came back from the dead twice in a memorable match.

Kean beamed: "The lads were not going to let the result slip away. Gael Givet encapsulated the spirit that we have got.

"He didn't want to come off at half-time with a hamstring. He said to give it ten minutes, I kept asking him if he was ok and he just blanked me.

"Gael is a warrior. He couldn't sprint and he is feeling it. He puts his head in where some people won't put their feet. But all of the lads put in a tremendous shift."

Newcastle chief Pardew took the defeat well and said: "If you have to go out that's how to go out. I can't fault the players, they were magnificent, they gave everything.

"I don't like the tag 'gallant losers' but we were that. It was a fantastic effort. The players do not know when to give in."

Yohan Cabaye's sensational injury-time free kick sent the tie into extra-time - and saved Newcastle United from a controversial exit in the 90 minutes.

The Frenchman stepped up to send a stunning 30-yard shot into Mark Bunn's top right-hand corner to complete a remarkable comeback.

Pardew's men were down and out, their unbeaten record at risk on a night of penalty kick drama - those given and ignored.

But Danny Guthrie smashed a screamer beyond Bunn to make it 2-1 in injury-time - the first Toon effort to threaten the target - before Cabaye's fabulous free kick.

Pedersen's deflected 25-yard set-piece in extra-time put Rovers back in front but they were dragged back again, ironically from the penalty spot.

Sub Grant Hanley grappled with Peter Lovenkrands off the ball - spotted by a linesman - and the Danish international beat Bunn from the spot to make it 3-3.

The extra-time antics took some of the spotlight off a controversial run of penalty decisions that had Pardew raging with ref Robert Madley.

The Toon were tormented when Sylvain Marveaux's cross was handled by Martin Olsson, but the real drama kicked off with two calls in a controversial minute.

Demba Ba and Chris Samba had a heavyweight duel in the box that had Newcastle yelling for the award and Pardew furiously turning on the officials.

As the arguments went on Rovers stole away and Ruben Rochina was knocked over by keeper Tim Krul for a penalty that was awarded and expertly taken by Yakubu.

Rochina - Blackburn's Carling Cup specialist - lifted the mood early on with a classy finish to an excellent cross from Olsson.

Spaniard Rochina is still rated a bit risky for Premier League action, but in this less stressful atmosphere his flicks and tricks were great entertainment.

The former Barcelona kid's strike was his fourth in the competition and he and his pals dazzled at times as they made Newcastle cling on.

Rovers looked far from a club in crisis as they buzzed around, with keeper Krul outstanding as he kept out a handful of shots.

Pardew did not like what he was watching and had to give Hatem Ben Arfa a personal lecture about how and where he wanted him to play.

Ba smacked the Blackburn post when he beat the offside trap, but poor control cost him when he went in on a Cabaye pass.

Newcastle's plight was summed up by Fabricio Coloccini who was booked for smashing into Yakubu on halfway and booked for his cynical challenge.

Ben Arfa did not help his case by popping a header over the bar when it looked easier to equalise - right under the noses of the big Toon support.

Marveaux made a similar hash of a good chance as the Geordies showed some real commitment in the second half.