Hello and welcome to live text coverage of this afternoon's Premier League clash between Newcastle United and Blackburn Rovers.

GOAL FOR NEWCASTLE! NEWCASTLE 2-0 BLACKBURN (Demba Ba). Newcastle double their lead and it's far too easy for the home side. Although Ryan Taylor's free-kick doesn't find a target, it does get sent back deep into the Blackburn box where Steven Taylor is on hand to head the ball towards Demba Ba, who smartly loops his header beyond Paul Robinson. Ba, who hadn't scored for Newcastle before today's match, is now gunning for a hat-trick.

Newcastle on the up and Gutierrez goes down just outside the penalty box, from a trip by David Hoilett. Ryan Taylor's resulting free-kick fails to find a Magpies teammate

That was Demba Ba's first goal in Newcastle's black-and-white colours.

GOAL FOR NEWCASTLE! NEWCASTLE 1-0 BLACKBURN (Demba Ba). Newcastle lead and it's a smart goal tempered by poor Blackburn defending. Leon Best draws Chris Samba out of position before delivering the ball into Demba Ba from the left flank. Ba controls with his back to goal, before turning and firing a curling effort past Robinson into the Blackburn goal. But Scott Dann had to get much tighter to Ba from his initial control-and-turn.

Danny Simpson whips the ball in now from a deep position out on the right, but Blackburn's Paul Robinson comes to gather under little pressure.

First-time cross from Martin Olsson out on the Blackburn left almost finds David Hoilett bursting in at the back post, but Ryan Taylor gets ahead of his man to prevent the goal-scoring opportunity.

Gael Givet is having a torrid time when attempting to close down Gabriel Obertan out on the Blackburn left - this time the French winger balloons his cross well over from the right.

Obertan whips in a cross from the Newcastle right - clearly the more favourable of the two flanks for the Magpies - and Gutierrez can only make deft contact with his head as the ball travels out for a goal-kick. The Argentinean should have done a lot better with that chance, especially as he was unmarked.

Martin Olsson moves a fraction too early when attempting to be released down the Blackburn left and is flagged offside.

Better from Blackburn as they work the ball out to David Hoilett on the right-flank. The midfielder cust inside, beating Gutierrez, but Coloccini is quick across to snuff out Hoilett's progress.

There's a good tempo to this afternoon's clash - both teams looking very lively at the moment.

Newcastle burst forward and Leon Best almost gets on the end of a deflected Danny Simpson ball into the box, but it just evades the in-form striker and Robinson is out quick to collect.

Ryan Taylor is back on the field, and immediately sees his goalkeeper Krul pounce on a deflected Martin Olsson cross from the left.

A long Paul Robinson goal-kick makes it all the way to the edge of Newcastle's 18-yard box but the flicked-on header is comfortably gathered by Tim Krul.

Obertan darts down the Newcastle right flank and smartly cuts the ball back to an unmarked Leon Best just inside the Blackburn penalty area. But the striker gets way under it and blazes the ball high first-time over Paul Robinson's goal.

Newcastle's Ryan Taylor goes charging in with Mauro Formica, and he is currently on the sidelines receiving treatment from the physio to his foot. Heavy challenge that one.

Coloccini gets across to snuff out David Hoilett's advances down the Blackburn right-flank, especially important as Steven Taylor had been caught out of position.

Gabriel Obertan cleverly crosses low from the right, but the ball evades both Best and Ba on its way out for a Blackburn throw deep in their own half.

Chris Samba stops Cheick Tiote in his tracks, and that will allow Blackburn room to breathe and gather themselves as they have yet to really settle down since kick-off.

Gutierrez now feeds Ba centrally, but as the striker drives forward his shot from 25 yards out is always travelling high over the Blackburn goal. Good start from the home side though.

Nice link-up play between Leon Best and Demba Ba almost feeds the former, but Best runs out of room and the ball goes out for a Blackburn goal-kick.