CONFIDENT Newcastle believe they are still bang on course to meet Everton in the FA Cup quarter finals.

Manager Ruud Gullit was in bullish mood after his team had been held 0-0 by Blackburn Rovers at St James's Park 10 days ago.

And he and his players seem to have a ring of confidence that they are capable of overcoming Rovers in tonight's fifth round replay at Ewood.

Defenders Warren Barton and Steve Howey, who both did well in the first tie, feel that losing home advantage will not be too big a handicap.

Indeed, there is a suggesstion in the Newcastle camp that they could well find more space than in the first cup meeting when Rovers threw a defensive blanket over their attacking efforts.

Central defender Howey, on the brink of signing a lucrative new four-year contract, believes that first game was a pointer towards potential Magpie success, based on sound defence, when good chances were few and far between for Rovers.

He played well against Ashley Ward and Chris Sutton and has no doubts about Geordie chances.

"I don't see why we shouldn't go down there and win," he said.

"If we go there and the defenders give the lads a basis on which to play, I think we can win," he said.

"In all fairness to Blackburn, they defended very well (at St James's Park), Darren Peacock in particular, and the goalkeeper had a good game as well.

"Although we were a little bit disappointed, at the end of the day, we're still in the hat."

As for Rovers' striking threat, Howey will be looking for a repeat performance from the cup, rather than last Saturday at Southampton when he committed a rare blunder to hand Saints their opening goal. Sutton will be absent tonight but Ward will still be there and Howey was happy with the way his team handled Rovers' scoring threat first time round.

"Blackburn's policy was to put it in the air and then just try to pick up the bits," he said.

"But I thought we defended pretty well against them. I don't think Shay Given had a shot to save apart from the one that Ward put on to the crossbar.

"After that, they didn't create anything else shot-wise, so that's pleasing from the defenders' point of view."

Barton, who was on the bench at the Dell but played well against Damien Duff in the cup tie and could get a recall tonight, was full of praise for keeper John Filan but also believes Newcastle can win the replay.

"Having seen Filan at close hand, you can see why he is keeping such a good goalkeeper as Tim Flowers out of the side," he explained.

"He was brilliant against us and I am told he has been playing really well week-in, week-out," said the former Wimbledon man. "But we are going to Blackburn in a positive mood.

"We know they will have to come at us a little bit more and that will open things up and give us some space.

"Brian Kidd has got Blackburn buzzing at the moment but this is the FA Cup and we are still in with a shout.

"Everybody still remembers that final back in May when we let ourselves and the fans down against Arsenal.

"There's a grerat desire to put that right and the fact that a home draw against Everton awaits the winners is a big incentive.

"Blackburn will be difficult to beat at home but they are a hurdle we have got to get over."

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