Soccer English FA Premiership: Blackburn 1 Newcastle 1Controversial and corruscating in almost equal measure, Craig Bellamy marked his return to Newcastle's starting XI by flirting with being sent off before scoring the opening goal.

Unnerved by Bellamy's extradordinary powers of acceleration, Blackburn seemed to be heading for their eighth home reverse of this Premiership campaign when Jon Stead retrived a point courtesy of his second goal in two games.

The £1 million signing from Huddersfield, who is making the move from the third divsion appear a shallow step up rather than a quantum leap, scored a classic predator's goal, racing on to a cross from Paul Gallagher to beat Shay Given from close range but an extremely tight angle.

Sven-Goran Eriksson must have been disappointed that Jonathan Woodgate's latest groin injury kept him out of the Newcastle team.

At least the England coach had an opportunity to watch Kieron Dyer on the right wing yet for much of the first period Dyer, whose inclination is to drift infield, found himself thwarted by Graeme Souness's signing, the sometime England left back in Michael Gray.

Alongside Alan Shearer, Bellamy was making his first start for four months in the wake of career-saving knee surgery in the United States.

His nerves cannot have been calmed by the over-zealous, if unpunished, challenge from Lucas Neill which necessitated the Wales international receiving prolonged treatment towards the end of the first half.

BLACKBURN: Friedel, Douglas (Gallagher 69), Babbel, Neill, Todd, Emerton, Tugay, Flitcroft, Gray, Stead, Cole (Johansson 90). Subs Not Used: Yorke, Andresen, Enckelman. Goals: Stead 85.

NEWCASTLE: Given, Hughes, Bramble, O'Brien, Bernard, Dyer, Speed, Jenas, Robert, Shearer, Bellamy. Subs Not Used: Elliott, Ambrose, Ameobi, Viana, Harper. Goals: Bellamy 52.

Referee: M Messias (N Yorkshire).