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Blackburn Rovers vs Fulham. Premier League.

Ewood ParkAttendance21,287.

Blackburn Rovers 2

  • C Samba (25th minute)
  • R Nelsen (54th minute)

Fulham 0

    Rovers rally to beat Fulham

    Image: Samba: On target for Rovers

    Blackburn picked up their first win in 12 matches after a hard-fought 2-0 triumph over Fulham at Ewood Park.

    Central defenders pick up a goal each for the home side

    Blackburn picked up their first win in 12 matches after a hard-fought 2-0 triumph over Fulham at Ewood Park. Rovers were second-best for much of the game, but for all Fulham's dominance they could not beat Paul Robinson and were duly punished with two goals from set-pieces. Christopher Samba fired in the first on 25 minutes as Benni McCarthy's corner was poorly cleared at the front post - the ball fell for the big defender to stick a boot out and poke it home. Fulham looked dangerous in attack and Clint Dempsey was unlucky not to level the score twice in the opening period - first with a stunning overhead kick that smacked the bar before cutting inside to be denied by Robinson from close range minutes later. The Cottagers were made to rue their missed opportunities when Blackburn captain Ryan Nelsen nodded McCarthy's free-kick past the helpless Mark Schwarzer after the break to earn Sam Allardyce a much-needed win. It proved a winning gamble for boss Allardyce who dropped talisman David Dunn to the bench after the rigours of Thursday's Carling Cup defeat to Aston Villa.

    Strain

    There was little doubt the strain had been showing on the Rovers boss after their long winless streak which saw them slide back within reach of the relegation zone. And there were lingering fears over the effect of Dunn's absence during the low-key opening stages in which the pressure on the home side to produce a result was evident. Rovers had a penalty claim waved away in the 14th minute when Nikola Kalinic fell under pressure from Brede Hangeland as he tried to meet Steven Reid's cross. Counter-attacking brightly, the visitors created another chance in the 17th minute when the dangerous Dempsey headed Stephen Kelly's cross into Robinson's arms. As the tempo increased Reid's flick-on sent Kalinic scampering into the Fulham box only for Kelly to expertly take the ball off his toes and clear the danger. McCarthy brought the home fans to life in the 24th minute when he chested down a punt forward from Samba before firing a right-foot shot which Schwarzer did well to punch over the bar. But Rovers went ahead from the resulting set-piece with McCarthy flinging the ball in and Damien Duff's boot off the line striking Samba and ricocheting back into the net.
    Chance
    Hangeland's through-ball gave Fulham a chance to equalise on the half-hour but Johnson, who narrowly beat the offside trap, blazed over from the right flank. Fulham came even closer in the 36th minute when Danny Murphy sent a free-kick in from the left and Dempsey reacted with his acrobatic overhead kick which struck the bar. Home nerves frayed as Duff shot on target then Dempsey should have done better when he was sent clean through but curled his shot straight at Robinson. Rovers went further ahead in the 54th minute when Nelsen got on the end of McCarthy's free-kick to finally all but end Rovers' long search for a league win. Fulham pressed in ragged fashion, with Robinson holding a shot from Zoltan Gera then Samba booting clear from the six-yard box after Johnson drew out Robinson. Searching for a goal of his own after two crisp assists, McCarthy fired a long-range free-kick just over, then turned provider again to set up Kalinic who stumbled on the edge of the box.
    Blackburn Rovers Team Statistics Fulham
    2 Goals 0
    1 1st Half Goals 0
    6 Shots on Target 4
    4 Shots off Target 6
    1 Blocked Shots 6
    3 Corners 6
    16 Fouls 10
    3 Offsides 5
    1 Yellow Cards 3
    0 Red Cards 0
    66.9 Passing Success 74.6
    14 Tackles 23
    78.6 Tackles Success 73.9
    41.1 Possession 58.9
    42.7 Territorial Advantage 57.3

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