Martin Dubravka saved twice as Newcastle beat Blackburn 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in a compelling FA Cup fifth-round tie at Ewood Park on Tuesday.

The Newcastle goalkeeper denied Sammie Szmodics and Dom Hyam from the spot to secure a nervy victory after the Premier League outfit were taken all the way by the side 16th in the Sky Bet Championship.

Blackburn had enjoyed the upper hand for large spells of the game, but fell behind when Anthony Gordon broke the deadlock after 71 minutes.

Rovers hit back and forced extra time with an equaliser from the impressive Szmodics, but neither side could find a winner before it fell to spot-kicks to determine the outcome.

The game was delayed by 15 minutes to allow all fans to get into the ground and was then slow to get going, the first thing of note being a tennis ball protest by Blackburn fans.

Supporters frustrated at the club’s continued ownership by Indian poultry firm Venky’s, which is now in its 14th year, symbolically lobbed balls onto the field in the 14th minute.

The delay was brief and when the action resumed it was Blackburn who settled quicker.

Szmodics was the main Rovers dangerman and went close when he lashed a shot into the side-netting.

Tyrhys Dolan broke into the box and drew a good save from Dubravka, whose fingertip touch deflected the ball past Szmodics.

Szmodics then tried his luck from long range, finding only the keeper, before beating Fabian Schar and testing Dubravka again.

Newcastle offered little before the break aside from an angled Sean Longstaff strike which did not trouble Aynsley Pears.

Rovers started the second half the brighter and Dolan called Dubravka into action again with a firm strike from the edge of the area.

Newcastle manager Eddie Howe changed the balance just after the hour as he sent on Miguel Almiron, Lewis Miley and Ashley Barnes in a triple change.

The Magpies began to take control and Blackburn had to scramble clear after a Kieran Trippier header was blocked on the line.

Longstaff headed over from a corner and Gordon should have done better than shoot straight at Pears after being played through.

Gordon made amends for that as he made the breakthrough 19 minutes from time, calmly stroking home after a good run and neat cutback by Almiron.

It felt harsh on Rovers but, rather than lie down and accept defeat, the hosts rallied.

Newcastle’s lead lasted eight minutes as Arnor Sigurdsson broke down the right and picked out Dilan Markanday, who thumped a first-time shot against the bar.

Szmodics was the quickest to react to the rebound and coolly guided the bouncing ball into the net.

Rovers almost snatched victory in stoppage time as Yasin Ayari’s deflected shot was saved by Dubravka with his legs.

Newcastle had the first opportunity in extra time, but Pears produced a brilliant double save to deny Gordon and Longstaff at close quarters.

The visitors looked certain to score in the 112th minute when Gordon broke into the box and ball was squared for Bruno Guimares, but Scott Wharton miraculously blocked on the line.

Szmodics had another chance at the other end, but again Dubravka was alert.

It was Dubravka who proved the hero in the shoot-out, although it went to the final kick after Barnes had his effort saved, as he tipped Hyam’s shot onto the post.

New Blackburn boss John Eustace was left with plenty of positives from their derby draw at Preston despite seeing the home side fight back from 2-0 down at Deepdale.

After tasting defeat on his return to Birmingham in midweek, Eustace must have felt his maiden Rovers win was on the way after first-half strikes from Sammie Szmodics and Sam Gallagher put them in charge against their Lancashire rivals.

Rovers were unable to hold on, with play-off chasing Preston hitting back just before the break to level through goals from Robbie Brady and Emil Riis, but Eustace was nevertheless heartened by his team’s performance.

“I’m very proud of the effort of the group,” he said. “The way they dug in with a few difficult moments was very rewarding.

“We wanted three points with the way we started, it was exceptional. We executed the game plan and the first half an hour was very good.

“There were a few tired bodies, you could see that and the decision-making a couple of times towards the end of the half cost us.

“It’s disappointing, but there are a lot of positives to take from the game. The way we dug in, the way we stuck together, the way we defended a very physical team. I think this group of players have been questioned for that level of commitment to keep the ball out of the net and I think they did that.

“It’s a good point against a good team.

“There’s no feeling of what might have been because you don’t have any divine right to win any games.

“You have to battle and keep the ball out for 95 minutes.

“We were always going to be under bits of pressure. It was really disappointing to concede two set-pieces. We need to get better at that.

“We’ve got quality players and quality going forward and we showed that. Overall, I’m very happy with the effort of the players.”

Szmodics overtook Plymouth’s Morgan Whittaker at the top of the Championship scoring charts as he gave Rovers an early lead and Gallagher sent the visiting fans into scenes of jubilation with a neat flick in the 23rd minute.

But a four-minute burst scuppered their victory charge with Brady’s stunning strike opening his account for the season and Riis scrambling home his third goal in as many games to draw the hosts level.

“It’s a good point in a local derby,” said Preston boss Ryan Lowe.

“It’s frustrating. When we were in the ascendency and got two goals back, there only looked to be one winner and that was us.

“We were camped out in their half. When you’re two goals down and get back to 2-2, you’ve got to be pleased with the point.

“I was disappointed with the two goals.

“Both sets of teams were out on their feet at the end.

“It wasn’t for a lack of trying. I thought the lads were fantastic in sticking to it.

“It ends up being a bit of a dogged performance in the end. We played a lot of football to try and get our way in. It’s a point in the right direction at the end.

“They were mistakes and individual errors really. I’m not going to fault the players.

“When you’ve got one of the best players in the league through on goal he’s going to score. You can’t give those types of goals away.

“We had to deal with the ball down the side for the second as well. We need to find solutions for next time.”

Blackburn boss Jon Dahl Tomasson is relishing the prospect of his side hosting his old club Newcastle after Rovers came from behind to beat Wrexham 4-1 at Ewood Park in the FA Cup fourth round.

The League Two visitors were on for an upset when Andy Cannon put them in front in the 19th minute, bringing a huge roar from the 7,000-plus away fans in the ground.

But Blackburn responded in ruthless fashion with goals in quick succession just past the half-hour mark from Sammie Szmodics and then Sam Gallagher as goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo was punished for racing out of his area.

Szmodics, the Championship’s leading scorer this term with 16 goals who had bagged a hat-trick in the 5-2 third-round victory over Cambridge, then netted his second of the night just prior to the interval before Sondre Tronstad wrapped things up in the second half.

Former striker Tomasson – a Newcastle player in 1997-98 – said in his post-match press conference when asked about the fifth-round clash with the Magpies that had been set up: “It’s special.

“When I saw the draw, I was thinking about the Champions League game against Barcelona where we won it 3-2, I thought that could be nice if we were able to win against Wrexham, to see my former club here.

“We know how well Newcastle has performed. So I’m really pleased to see my old club coming here.”

On his team’s display against Wrexham, Tomasson said: “It was a good performance, and when you play the FA Cup it’s about winning.

“A game like this could be extremely dangerous, Wrexham are bringing on a Monday night more than 7,000 fans, they had a great run last season, beating Coventry, almost beating Sheffield United as well. The team have done a very good performance and we are pleased to be through to the next round.”

Jon Dahl Tomasson lauded “incredible” Sammie Szmodics after his first career hat-trick helped Blackburn defeat Cambridge 5-2 in the FA Cup third round.

United threatened to shock their Sky Bet Championship hosts and twice went ahead, first through Jack Lankester’s curling finish and then Sullay Kaikai’s emphatic volley. In between those goals, Szmodics swept home and he brought Rovers level again with a typically clinical strike.

The Championship’s leading scorer took his remarkable tally for the season to 19 in first-half stoppage time with a first-time volley from close range, showing the confidence of a player in the form of his life.

Arnor Sigurdsson’s close-range finish midway through the second half and Harry Leonard’s powerful late header rounded off the scoring, but the star man was Szmodics and Rovers boss Tomasson praised his performance.

He said: “The development of Sammie is great to see. He’s a team player, he’s a goalscorer. He’s very good in doing all the things we want, then of course scoring that amount of goals and also even getting assists.

“And still the good thing is, he can miss a chance and it doesn’t matter, he can go on. Great character and great to see him getting the ball with him at home.

“After Christmas last season, I think he’s been really good for Rovers and after the summer holiday, he’s been extremely good. He’s also added those goals.

“We always know he can score goals but he’s not used to playing a lot of games at this level first of all, he played with Peterborough but not a lot. The way he’s scoring goals, the confidence he’s playing with and the role he takes as one of the senior players is quite incredible.”

Cambridge manager Neil Harris was disappointed with the manner of the goals his League One side conceded.

He said: “The game went how we expected it to go. Sammie Szmodics is a top player. We didn’t help ourselves at times with conceding goals, individual errors again which have cost us and we have to cut them out because when you play against good sides, you can’t give them a leg up.

“In the first half, our shape was excellent, our press was excellent, we regained the ball and used it really well, scored two really good goals.

“But you can’t give goals to these teams. You can’t give opportunities in the box to these teams because they are just too clinical. That’s my only frustration is that we didn’t help ourselves.

“I’m pleased with some aspects of the game, pleased for the two guys who got on the scoresheet, but ultimately, if you score two goals away from home in the FA Cup you don’t expect to lose by three goals.”

Sheffield Wednesday manager Danny Rohl believes his side’s reaction to losing their lead highlights their growth as the Championship strugglers stunned Blackburn 3-1.

Bailey Cadamarteri’s opener was cancelled out by Sammie Szmodics, but Marvin Johnson and Josh Windass struck in the last 12 minutes to earn the division’s bottom club only their second win of the campaign.

Wednesday had scored in stoppage time in midweek to hold leaders Leicester and their latest late show left Rohl delighted with his side’s progress.

Rohl said: “My team fight until the end and they believe in what we are doing. I’m so happy to take the points today.

“We spoke in the past about what happens if we concede a goal. When you look back to the Millwall game, we conceded a goal and then it was maybe not much energy in the group, but now you see we improve this mentally.

“After the defeat in Birmingham, now we took four points and I think this is a huge step forward.

“I try to show my players every day that we have to believe and that I’m convinced in my players.

“Maybe it’s sometimes helpful to come from some big clubs because then you have a little bit of the winning DNA in yourself and you always believe in the special things you can do.”

To compound Blackburn’s misery, manager Jon Dahl Tomasson was shown a red card following protests to the match officials over an incident involving James Hill and Callum Paterson in the build-up to Wednesday’s second goal.

Blackburn skipper Szmodics faced the post-match interviews in the manager’s absence but could not shed further light on the incident.

“I’ve not seen it,” he said.

“There’s a ref, two linesmen and a fourth official. It’s hard to speak this early after a game. I don’t want to get in any more trouble. The gaffer has got into trouble with it.

“It’s tough at the minute. You don’t know if you can go and speak to referees or not. I’ll let people look back at the goal and make their decision.”

Szmodics, who scored his seventh goal in five games, felt the scoreline was harsh on the visitors.

He said: “I don’t think it should have been a 3-1. We‘ve got back into the game with a goal and it just wasn’t to be today.

“The gaffer said at half time that we created chances. We just needed to take one and in the first half we didn’t. In the second half we got back into it, but it wasn’t our day.

“It was one of the few headers I’ve ever scored. I should have volleyed it but I went down early and managed to get enough power into it.”

“We’ll recover and get to go again.”

Jon Dahl Tomasson praised the impact of Sammie Szmodics after his brace helped Blackburn to a pulsating 4-2 win over Birmingham.

Szmodics set Rovers on their way in the 47th minute, lobbing John Ruddy after beating the Birmingham offside trap, and his delicate finish five minutes later doubled the advantage.

When James Hill made it three, it felt like job done but Siriki Dembele hit a stunning brace of his own, curling into the top corner and firing into the roof of the net before Harry Leonard secured the points in injury time.

Szmodics has netted six in his last four and 13 for the season and after the game Tomasson praised his overall impact.

He said: “He’s flying. Not only this week, and this month, I think actually Sammie has been playing extremely well in the last year and now he’s adding a lot of goals, which we need.

“We’re extremely pleased for Sammie.

“We want to play a game, a modern way, a fluent game where you play quick, one or two touches, within one or two seconds – it’s a way of talking without using words and Sammie is one of those players that can do that.

“He can play and go, play the ball and move immediately, he has a great feeling regarding space as well and he always creates chances or when the ball finds him, he’s in a good position.

“And of course he works really hard against the ball which every team needs.

“I’m pleased he’s getting chances and scoring and even when he misses a chance, he keeps his head up.”

The result means it is one win in seven for Wayne Rooney, who felt there were positives in the Blues performance but described the goals conceded as “schoolboy”.

He said: “The goals were very poor from our point of view. I thought for large portions of the game, we were very good and caused Blackburn a lot of problems.

“The goals are schoolboy. I take responsibility for that but I think we as defenders, goalkeeper and midfielders, we need to be better because we can’t keep allowing teams to score goals like that against us.

“First five minutes of the second half, I said to the players at half-time, are so important.

“I felt first half we really quietened their crowd, and not to give them momentum and encouragement to get up and we do the opposite.

“It’s cost us the game but it’s hard to sit here and take the defeat after such a positive performance.

“We created some really good chances. We have to be more clinical because I think we’ve had 20-odd attempts at goal today and scored two. Really frustrated with the defeat.”

Sammie Szmodics celebrated his new contract by firing a second-half brace to help Blackburn to an enthralling 4-2 victory over Birmingham.

Wayne Rooney’s men had the better of the first half and Siriki Dembele clattered the woodwork but the visitors were made to pay for that profligacy.

Szmodics, who extended his Blackburn deal to 2026 on Tuesday, showed his clinical edge by lobbing John Ruddy in the 47th minute before another lofted finish five minutes later gave him his 13th of the campaign.

The game looked over when James Hill profited from a goalkeeping error to net his first Blackburn goal but Birmingham turned the game on its head.

Szmodics’ former Peterborough teammate Dembele netted a brace of his own with a classy 63rd-minute strike before a spectacular 20-yard effort gave the visitors real hope of an improbable point.

Harry Leonard’s injury-time strike made the points safe for Blackburn, who go seventh after a third win in four. Birmingham have now lost seven consecutive away games.

Birmingham weathered a fast Blackburn start and should have gone ahead in the 23rd minute when Lee Buchanan lashed over from close range.

They went closer three minutes later when Dembele tricked his way into the area on the left before unleashing an effort that rattled the crossbar.

Juninho Bacuna missed a glorious chance just before the break when he received the ball on the right but flashed a low shot beyond the far post, and Ruddy kept the scores level just before the break when he parried Callum Brittain’s curling shot behind.

Blackburn were ruthless after the break and Szmodics put them ahead in the 47th minute when he latched on to Adam Wharton’s defence-splitting pass before lobbing the stranded Ruddy.

He repeated the trick five minutes later, meeting Leonard’s clever pass before calmly lifting the ball over the goalkeeper from inside the area and it felt like game over in the 59th minute when Hill let fly with a speculative effort that Ruddy allowed to squirm beyond him and into the corner.

Birmingham came roaring back and superb skill from Dembele four minutes later saw him go past Brittain and fire clinically into the top corner.

It changed the complexion of the game and Leopold Wahlstedt made a smart near-post save from Bacuna before his brilliant reaction stop repelled Lukas Jutkiewicz’s point-blank header.

Dembele’s fifth of the season in the 78th minute, a stunning curling strike from the edge of the area that flew into the roof of the net, set up a grandstand finish.

But Leonard fired into the bottom-left corner in the second minute of injury time to secure the points as Ewood breathed a collective sigh of relief.

Norwich’s slump continued as they fell to a painful 3-1 defeat at the hands of 10-man Blackburn at Carrow Road.

The Canaries have now lost eight times in 10 games in all competitions, slipping to 17th in the Championship, and there were calls for head coach David Wagner to go during another below-par showing.

Blackburn scored twice in the opening 15 minutes through Tyrhys Dolan and Sammie Szmodics to take control, and a second from Szmodics early in the second half ended the game as a contest, even through Rovers’ Scott Wharton was sent off shortly afterwards.

Norwich got one back in injury time through Gabriel Sara, but it was no more than a consolation for the struggling hosts.

The Canaries were well off the pace in the early stages and were duly punished as the visitors scored two well-taken goals.

At times a slick Rovers side were able to play their way through a nervous looking City backline at will and it was no surprise when they took the lead after eight minutes with a goal of classic simplicity.

Joe Rankin-Costello found himself in some space on the right and slid the ball infield to Dolan who burst into the box before producing an emphatic finish into the roof of the net.

It got worse for the hosts in the 15th minute when Rovers added a second. Their defence was again caught square as Andrew Moran put Szmodics in and the striker buried an unstoppable low shot into the bottom corner to make it two.

There were chants of ‘You’re getting sacked in the morning’ from the Norwich fans when that one went in, with head coach Wagner already under pressure after his side’s poor run of form.

The Canaries did improve as the half wore on, and Ui Jo Hwang and Marcelino Nunez both got decent efforts of target before Onel Hernandez fired just wide from the edge of the area after being fed by Jack Stacey.

But overall it was still a poor first-half showing, and the second started in similar fashion for the Canaries as they shipped another soft goal four minutes after the restart.

This time Dolan had all the time in the world to clip a ball out to an unmarked Moran on the right and crossed low for Szmodics to tap in at the far post, with the Rovers top scorer getting the benefit of a tight offside call.

Norwich desperately needed a boost at that point and got one a few minutes later when Wharton was red-carded after bringing down Hernandez as the Cuban raced through on goal, although the subsequent free-kick from Nunez was comfortably gathered by Leopold Wahlstedt.

Wagner made a quadruple substitution on the hour mark in an attempt to change the course of the game and one of them, Christian Fassnacht, brought an excellent reaction save out of the Rovers keeper with a powerful back-post header.

Norwich were now firmly on the front foot, with Nunez blasting just wide and Sara seeing a goal-bound shot well blocked and they finally reduced the arrears in the second minute of injury time.

Wahlstedt could only parry a low cross from Przemyslaw Placheta and it fell nicely for Sara to side-foot home from just outside the six-yard box.

Arnor Sigurdsson scored twice as Blackburn thrashed QPR 4-0 to increase the pressure on R’s boss Gareth Ainsworth.

Tyrhys Dolan and Sammie Szmodics also netted in a thumping away victory for Rovers, who had lost their previous four league matches.

Ainsworth’s future as Rangers boss is in doubt after another diabolical performance at Loftus Road, where the west London side have won just once since last October and have lost five of their six home matches so far this season.

The R’s are in the bottom three, have gone six games without a win, and look both defensively vulnerable and devoid of attacking ideas.

They almost went down under Ainsworth last season and have so far fully justified being among the favourites for relegation this term.

Blackburn took control of the game by punishing woeful QPR defending to score twice in the space of four minutes midway through the first half.

The opener came on 19 minutes, when Joe Rankin-Costello drifted away from Jack Colback to collect Dilan Markanday’s pass and pull the ball back from the right for Dolan to score his first goal of the season.

Rangers were carved open again soon afterwards, with Markanday once more involved in the build-up on the right-hand side.

This time Szmodics was found by Markanday and laid the ball across to Sigurdsson, who got in front of Ziyad Larkeche to apply the finish.

Rangers had made a decent start, with Sinclair Armstrong bringing a near-post save from keeper Leopold Wahlstedt after combining with Ilias Chair, before Wahlstedt gathered Lyndon Dykes’ header from Larkeche’s right-wing corner.

After finding themselves two down, the hosts tried in vain to reduce the deficit before the interval, with Andre Dozzell seeing a shot saved by Wahlstedt shortly before crossing for Dykes, who headed wide.

Any realistic chance of a Rangers comeback evaporated when Sigurdsson struck again after 59 minutes, collecting Dolan’s pass near the left of the penalty area and curling a low shot beyond keeper Asmir Begovic and into the far corner of the net.

Andy Moran should have made it four but missed the target from close range after Begovic had parried Szmodics’ shot.

But Szmodics added the fourth in the 66th minute following an error by Larkeche.

Left-back Larkeche, operating as a makeshift right-back in place of the dropped Osman Kakay, made a mess of an attempted clearance and presented the ball straight to Szmodics, who calmly slotted past Begovic.

Blackburn Rovers battled back to earn a 2-2 draw at Rotherham United with Sammie Szmodics going from zero to hero.

Szmodics missed a first-half penalty and was also at fault for The Millers’ opener before his second-half double turned the game around.

Rotherham had looked to be on course for their first win of the campaign thanks to strikes from Hakeem Odoffin and Fred Onyedinma, but the latter’s dismissal for two yellow cards in quick succession turned the course of the match.

The opening chance fell to summer recruit Onyedinma, who slipped by the Blackburn defence to race onto a clearance from Viktor Johansson before seeing his shot tipped wide by Aynsley Pears.

Blackburn were awarded a 15th-minute penalty after Cameron Humphreys clattered into Joe Rankin-Costello in the box. But Szmodics’s effort ricocheted back off the post and Tyrhys Dolan’s follow-up effort dribbled wide.

Szmodics’ afternoon got even worse as he gave the ball away to gift Rotherham the lead in the 23rd minute when Odoffin latched onto the loose pass and smashed beyond Pears from the edge of the box.

Blackburn’s best chance of getting back into the game before the break came when the ball fell kindly to Adam Wharton on the edge of the box, but he volleyed over.

Rotherham doubled their advantage in the 48th minute with Onyedinma meeting Cafu’s free-kick perfectly with a diving header.

But the goalscorer was dismissed for picking up two yellow cards in quick succession from referee Bobby Madley. The first came for celebrating the goal and the second came after he gestured at the referee after being fouled.

Blackburn tried to make their man advantage count with Jon Dahl Tomasson making an attacking triple change.

Dolan came close to halving the advantage as he met Rankin-Costello’s cross powerfully, but his effort whistled just over the bar.

Callum Brittain then set up a decent chance for Ryan Hedges, but he poked wide at the near post.

Rankin-Costello then whistled another effort from the edge of the box just wide before the pressure finally told when Szmodics pulled one back for Blackburn in the 75th minute after his effort deflected in from Wharton’s slick pass.

Szmodics was celebrating again three minutes later when he found himself in on goal after a defensive lapse and smashed home after rounding Johansson.

Blackburn pushed for a winner and Harry Pickering almost delivered one in stunning style when he teed himself up for a volley which had to be tipped over by Johansson.

Pickering again came close in added on time, but his effort drifted wide of goal as Rotherham held on for a point.