Newcastle 0 Blackburn 2:Benni McCarthy's 22nd goal of the season and Jason Roberts' 73rd-minute strike were more than enough to claim the points as the Magpies imploded in their final home game with Michael Owen passing up both the chances which came his way.
Owen's return — he last played at St James' on December 10, 2005 — had given the black and white faithful hope of a positive finish to a poor season, but it was the same old story for Roeder's sorry troops.
Where Tugay's creativity and the movement of McCarthy and strike partner Roberts caused the home side problems at regular intervals, the Magpies were disjointed in the middle of the park and, despite the presence of their £17million man, toothless in attack.
With Titus Bramble criminally wasteful in possession at the back and he and Oguchi Onyewu, a replacement for the injured Steven Taylor, looking painfully inadequate in their battle with Rovers' front two, it was a frustrating opening 45 minutes for the Toon Army.
It might have been very different had Kieron Dyer's fifth-minute header from a Stephen Carr cross not been turned around the post by Brad Friedel, or had any of the flurry of chances which came their way in the closing stages of the half been converted.
Ryan Nelsen got in a vital challenge to prevent Owen from firing home from Scott Parker's flick-on after 40 minutes, but the Newcastle captain should have done better seconds later when the striker returned the favour only for him to scuff his effort straight at Brad Friedel.
The American then turned away James Milner's curling free-kick, but he should have been beaten on the stroke of half-time when, after he could only punch Nolberto Solano's driven cross to Owen, the England international drilled his shot high over.
Shay Given's deputy kept his side in it with a fine save from Morten Gamst Pedersen 11 minutes before the break after Bentley had skipped past Carr and Milner to cross from the right, and Rovers had a goal correctly ruled out for offside seconds later with Roeder's men in disarray at the back.
Newcastle returned in determined mood and Parker found himself in the thick of the action during the opening minutes of the half, first just failing to reach Owen's flick-on and then seeing Milner's driven cross cannon off him and drop wide of the target.
As they pushed for the equaliser, the home side left gaps at the back and they were fortunate to escape on 53 minutes when McCarthy and Bentley combined to play Roberts in, only for an offside flag to wrongly halt his progress.
Having seen too little of the ball previously, Owen turned provider, outstripping Nelsen on the left before lifting his cross high over the arriving support.
Rovers should have taken advantage after 59 minutes when the unmarked Pedersen dragged his left-footed shot across the face of goal, but with Milner making an impact once again, the Magpies were establishing a momentum.
They might have levelled after 69 minutes when Owen, who had seconds earlier had claims for a penalty for a trip by Samba waved away, rounded Friedel, but saw his shot from a tight angle headed off the line by the Congo international.
Roeder introduced Shola Ameobi and Peter Ramage for Dyer and Bramble on 70 minutes, but the game was over when Roberts was handed the simplest of tasks by Bentley to head past Harper.
The life went out of Newcastle and although Martins fired across the face of goal five minutes from time, the game — like their season — was long gone.
