Eddie Howe spoke of his “relief” when he Cheap Newcastle Football Shirts beat Blackburn on penalties to reach the quarter-finals of the FA Cup, a competition the Magpies boss says they are “desperate” to win.

Martin Dubravka was the hero of the Newcastle Kids Soccer Kit at Ewood Park, pushing Dominic Hyam’s penalty off the post after also saving from Sammie Szmodics, who had scored earlier in regulation time.

Harvey Barnes missed his penalty for the Premier League side, but Fabian Schar, Bruno Guimaraes, Elliot Anderson and Anthony Gordon scored their tries to give them the passage after a thriller.

“There’s only one emotion and that’s relief,” Howe said. “It was a very close cup tie. Both teams gave everything to get the win and didn’t give an inch, but we are delighted to be in the hat for the next round.

“No one underestimates the importance of the FA Cup and the players are very happy.

“This keeps us in a competition we are desperate to do well in and it also brings us closer to Wembley. We’re a game away so hopefully we can get a good draw.”

“Our target this year is the FA Cup and to finish as high as possible in the Premier League and hopefully this will be instrumental in achieving that.”

Gordon had overtaken the Newcastle women’s soccer jerseys cheap in the 71st minute with a first-time finish after a brilliant run by substitute Miguel Almiron down the right flank. It came just after Rovers goalkeeper Aynsley Pears denied Gordon as he advanced on goal.

But Blackburn, 16th in the second division, were only eight minutes behind.

Szmodics scored his 24th goal of the season in all competitions, reacting quickest to convert the rebound after Dubravka acrobatically touched Dilan Markanday’s shot onto the underside of the crossbar.

Rovers almost won it in the third minute of stoppage time, but Yasin Ayari’s shot was blocked by Dubravka’s legs to take the tie into extra time.

Schar, Gordon, Sean Longstaff, Dan Burn and Guimaraes also missed good chances for the visitors, and Szmodics had another effort saved in a thrilling extra time, before the tie was decided by penalties.

The draw for the quarter-finals will take place at 19:00 GMT on Wednesday, ahead of Chelsea’s home game against Leeds for , and the ties will be played over the weekend of March 16.

Dubravka’s heroics give Newcastle new ‘hope’
It was a tough finish for Rovers captain Hyam and fellow defender Scott Wharton, who had been named player of the match after a superb performance that included a fantastic goal-line block in extra time to deny Guimaraes a goal.

The penalties were taken in front of the 7,430 fans who traveled to Newcastle, who helped create a magnificent atmosphere in what turned out to be a classic cup tie. The attendance of 22,730 was the biggest for a Blackburn game at Ewood Park since 27,600 witnessed a League One promotion party against Oxford United on May 5, 2018.

The result means Newcastle can still salvage something from a season that promised so much but has suffered a series of disappointments.

Before the game, Howe said the campaign could “still be very special.”

The Magpies finished fourth in the Premier League last year to qualify for the Champions League for the first time after a 20-year absence, but are currently in 10th place and a top-four finish looks out of reach.

European soccer for 2024-25 remains a hope, although the Europa League and Europa Conference League are seen as more viable targets.

Former Blackburn and Newcastle striker Alan Shearer, speaking on BBC One, called the win a “huge, huge victory” for Howe and his players.

“Newcastle owe a lot to Martin Dubravka, he’s made a lot of good saves and he made two saves in the penalty shootout,” Shearer said. “They owe a huge debt to him. Thanks to him they are in the next round.

“It’s a massive result for Newcastle and Eddie Howe. They needed this. It’s quite worrying that they didn’t look like they had any energy, but it might galvanize them and give them a bit of hope.”

Newcastle are now through to the last 16 of the FA Cup, with the winners of the competition earning a place in the Europa League, while also aiming to win their first major trophy since 1969.

But they were pushed all the way by their opponents, who are only four points above the Championship relegation zone.

Blackburn manager John Eustace was only appointed in February, after Jon Dahl Tomasson resigned, and urged his team to play with freedom and enjoy their experience.

He was not disappointed, as Rovers were the better team in the first half, with Szmodics impressing throughout.

But Dubravka stood firm, denying Szmodics and Hyam when it mattered most, as Newcastle managed to come out on top.