Rovers looked a different team to the one that has struggled through the first half of the season and would have done better if they had taken just some of the chances they created.
But if you don’t take your chances in the Premier League you are made to pay and Newcastle took the lead showing that they were the ones with luck on their side.
Ryan Taylor had a shot that was never going to cause Rovers a problem, but the ball took a nasty deflection off Scott Dann and the Magpies had stolen the lead.
And after David Dunn had seen his first half penalty saved, the writing was on the wall. The final nail went into Rovers’ coffin late on when Obertan broke free with Rovers pushing forward and ran half the length of the pitch before firing a low shot past the keeper.
Kean was visibly dejected by the defeat, he said after the game: "It's one of those evenings where you look back at the chances, and the goal that Newcastle got, and it's disappointing.
"But I felt that the last 30 minutes of the first half we controlled the game and then for most of the second half.
"So if you go on chances, possession and the stats which normally equal goals it was a very frustrating night.
"We've done enough tonight to get something from the game."