The Lilywhites were unbeaten in five previous visits to Ewood, winning three times and drawing twice. Their last defeat there came 20 years ago in January 2001.
Having had the better of the first half, North End fell behind in the 53rd minute to a Ben Brereton Diaz goal.
It was a lead Rovers sat behind the ball to defend and the visitors were unable to find a way through for an equaliser.
Here are the PNE player ratings, with captain Alan Browne the starman.
9. Josh Earl 6
The left wing-back should have had a penalty when his cross was handled late on. Got into some decent positions but his crossing often let him down. Photo: Rich Linley/Camerasport
10. Emil Riis 5
Struggled to get into the game and found the Rovers defence a tough nut to crack. Time to take him off the long throws? Photo: Rich Linley/Camerasport
11. Ched Evans 6
Got through plenty of work up front but with little reward. Had PNE’s best chance which was saved by the Blackburn keeper. Photo: Rich Linley/Camerasport
12. Scott Sinclair 5
Introduced in a double substitution, Sinclair struggled to make an impact and didn’t touch the ball much. Photo: Camerasport