Joe Kinnear's arrival at St James' Park failed to inspire Newcastle to end their losing run as Blackburn piled on the misery.
However, after a woeful first-half display which saw Rovers take a 2-0 lead through Christopher Samba and Roque Santa Cruz, the Magpies did at least stage a fightback which suggested their spirits have not been completely crushed.
Skipper Michael Owen converted a 48th-minute penalty for his fourth goal in six games after he had been tripped by Ryan Nelsen, and the home side made a genuine attempt to repair the remaining damage.
In the end, they were unable to snatch the point which might have partially eased their woes.
But a crowd of 44,935 - around 7,000 down on capacity - left at least able to take some comfort from a committed end to what at one point looked like another black afternoon on Tyneside.
That said, Newcastle remain deep in trouble with no permanent manager and an owner who cannot get rid of the club quickly enough, and things could well get worse before they get better.
Blackburn boss Paul Ince, who was at one point the favorite to succeed Kevin Keegan, headed for the north-west having seen his side make the most of a big opportunity at St James', and their resilience at the death will have been as pleasing as their prowess at the other end.
Kinnear met the players before kick-off before taking his seat in the stands, from where he had to watch the game after the Magpies were informed he has still to serve a two-match disciplinary ban dating back to his time at Nottingham Forest.
His mood was one of defiance as the shock waves over his appointment continued to reverberate on Tyneside.
He said: "It's amazing, I am well aware of that, and I have been getting plenty of criticism and stick over it.
"But my answer to that is, 'Sod it'. It's an opportunity, I have been asked and I am going to take it."
He may well have been uttering "Sod it" and a few more expletives under his breath by the time the team he has inherited headed for the dressing room at the break.
Caretaker boss Chris Hughton's hands have been tied by injuries and suspensions, but the patchwork side he fielded this afternoon simply did not look up to the task in the opening 45 minutes.
Fragility at the back, indiscipline in midfield and a lack of any cutting edge in attack, where Owen and summer signing Xisco made little or no impression, meant the Magpies hopes looked forlorn from the off.
And with Carlos Villanueva orchestrating from the middle of the park for Rovers and Santa Cruz too hot for a traumatised defence to handle, the omens were not good.
The visitors would have been ahead with just nine minutes gone had Shay Given not kept out Matt Derbyshire's shot after he had escaped from emergency right-back Steven Taylor.
But the opening goal arrived with 31 minutes gone when Samba ran on to Villanueva's free-kick unchallenged to head firmly past the Irishman.
Newcastle, however, did not learn their lesson, and when Brett Emerton curled a similarly inviting cross into the box 10 minutes later, Santa Cruz supplied an equally comprehensive finish to put his side in complete control.
The boos which greeted the half-time whistle told their own story as supporters who have endured a nightmare three weeks or so since Kevin Keegan's departure prepared for more misery.
Kinnear had planned to pass on his thoughts at the break, and if he did, whatever he said seemed to have an effect.
The Magpies were appealing in vain for a 48th-minute penalty after Martin Olsson appeared to handle Damien Duff's cross under pressure from Geremi.
Referee Steve Tanner was unmoved on that occasion, but he did point to the spot a minute later after Rovers skipper Ryan Nelsen had clipped Owen's heels.
The England international picked himself up to dispatch the penalty past keeper Jason Brown and remarkably, his side might have been level within three minutes had Geremi volleyed Duff's cross towards goal rather than miscontrolled it.
Geremi tested Brown with a well-struck 25-yard effort as Newcastle finally started to believe, although Rovers gradually began to work their way back into the game and themselves had appeals for a penalty waved away for Claudio Cacapa's 61st-minute challenge on Santa Cruz.
Newcastle were growing in confidence as the game wore on, but clear-cut chances were few and far between and Brown had no real scares as time ran down.
