Blackburn Rovers forward Sam Gallagher has a warning for Newcastle United

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Few would give Owen Coyle’s strugglers much hope against a rampant Newcastle on Saturday, but Blackburn Gallagher isn’t shying away from the fixture.

Blackburn forward Sam Gallagher has told the club’s official website that Rovers’ performances against the so-called ‘bigger clubs’ in the Championship this season stands them in good stead for a trip to runaway leaders Newcastle United on Saturday.

The Magpies maintained the margin over third placed Reading at nine points with a hard-fought 2-0 win away at Leeds last time out, the league’s top scorer Dwight Gayle adding two more to his growing collection as Rafael Benitez’s side continue to cruise at the top of the table.

Blackburn, in stark contrast, remain in the bottom three despite a potentially vital 3-2 triumph over Brentford at the weekend, with Owen Coyle’s side picking up a grand total of 15 points all season.

However, some of their strongest performances across the campaign have come against the traditionally stronger sides in the division, beating Derby away from home and losing narrowly to Aston Villa, something that gives Gallagher hope ahead of Saturday’s clash.

“It is probably the biggest club that’s been down in this division for a while,” the Southampton-owned striker told Blackburn’s official website.

“If you look at the results and the performances we’ve put in against big teams – the Aston Villa game, Derby away – they’re all big games and we definitely didn’t shy away from them.

“We showed good character and good quality on the pitch as well, which is one thing we’ve got throughout the squad. We’ve got competition for all places and I definitely believe that we’ve got enough to climb the table.”

Newcastle have won each of their last nine fixtures, meaning Benitez is one game away from smashing a 22-year-old record for consecutive wins, set all way back in 1994 when Kevin Keegan was still at the helm.

And The Magpies will be odds-on for achieving the feat at the weekend though recent results, and performances, suggest Blackburn will be deceptively difficult opposition.