DAVID Bentley insists his time will come with England, providing he keeps the faith.

And, judging by his latest performance at a spellbound Ewood Park, he may not have much longer to wait.

Two superbly executed strikes, the first reminiscent of another England midfielder who shares the initials 'DB', provided perhaps the most compelling evidence yet that Blackburn Rovers' rising star deserves a proper opportunity to bend it like Beckham on the full international stage.

Mark Hughes recently remarked that no Blackburn player had returned from international duty hurting more than Bentley, after the 23-year-old was part of the England squad that failed to qualify for the finals of the European Championships.

A fiercely patriotic guy, despite what some would have you believe in the wake of his much-publicised withdrawal from the Under 21 Championships earlier this year, Bentley took England's defeat to Croatia badly, describing the days immediately after it as the worst of his life'.

However, the true test of a person's character is how they respond to such gut-wrenching disappointment, and Bentley's answer here was emphatic.

In an age of foreign rule in the Premier League, there are few Englishmen blessed with the technical ability that Bentley demonstrated when he illuminated this contest with two swishes of his magical right boot.

Still aching after the 4-0 defeat to Aston Villa last Wednesday, a result which Bentley described as embarrassing and humiliating', Rovers were staring down the barrel again when Obafemi Martins profited from some dreadful defending to head Newcastle into a 47th minute lead.

But then enter Bentley, stage right, and two stunning strikes later, Rovers were heading towards a first league victory since October 28, when Tottenham were defeated 2-1 at White Hart Lane.

It begged the question: why did Bentley fail to even make the bench the night England failed against Croatia?

Instead, Steve McClaren opted to place his trust in the over-rated Shaun Wright-Phillips and a fading star from Hollywood.

Yet Bentley is philosophical rather than bitter about his omission, believing his chance will come, providing he remains patient and continues to deliver the goods in a Rovers shirt.

"I accepted that I wasn't picked and the way Beckham came on and influenced the game, you couldn't argue - but my time will come," said the Rovers midfielder.

"There will be a time when I'm performing and he isn't playing so well and when that happens, I'll be waiting in the wings.

"You can't argue with his talent. He's a great player and I'm fine with whatever happens, as long as I'm part of the squad.

"I want to play for my country but I'm very relaxed about it. I enjoy my football here, I enjoy my life so it's a case of wait and see what happens."

It's a good job Rovers had a purring Bentley going forward because defensively, they were about as stable as a Reliant Robin in a gale-force wind.

Every time Newcastle crossed the halfway line, Rovers looked vulnerable, and the goal they did concede was symptomatic of the way they have defended set-pieces of late.

Obafemi Martins - one of the smallest players on the pitch - was completely unmarked when he rose to meet a Charles N'Zogbia free kick two minutes into the second half.

It was a soft goal, frighteningly similar to the ones conceded against Manchester United and Villa, and the look of horror on Hughes' face spoke volumes.

It's safe to assume some long hours will be spent on the training ground this week, in an attempt to rectify the problems.

Even Chris Samba, normally such a commanding figure at the back, appears to be suffering from a dip in form at present.

Question marks also remain over the balance in midfield.

Aaron Mokoena and Tugay were employed as the two holding midfielders here but there were times, particularly in the second half when the game became stretched, that Rovers left themselves wide open to a Newcastle counterattack.

While it made for gripping entertainment, Hughes was clearly concerned by the ease with which United cut through Rovers' midfield, and he eventually replaced the ineffective Mokoena for Steven Reid, who took another important step on the comeback trail.

Amidst all the carnage, Bentley succeeded in keeping his head when others around him began losing theirs.

His first goal, in the 54th minute, was an exquisitely taken free kick from 25 yards out.

When the ball left his boot, it appeared to be bending two feet wide of Shay Given's left-hand post but it curled back inside the upright. Terrific!

The England ace promptly celebrated like a man possessed.

Twelve minutes later, Bentley helped himself to a second, his right-foot drive from outside the box spearing through the air and in off the far post.

After chances came and went at both ends, it was left to Tugay, the maestro, to finally put Newcastle out of their misery in injury time with a typically stylish finish.

However, even the Turk failed to upstage Bentley, the real star of the day.