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Played
August 13, 2011 10:00 AM EDT
Ewood Park — Blackburn
Referee: K. Friend
Attendance: 21996
August 13, 2011 10:00 AM EDT
Ewood Park — Blackburn
Referee: K. Friend
Attendance: 21996
Top of the Match
Steven Fletcher
Wolves
Wolves
Steven Fletcher
Wolves
Wolves
Flop of the Match
Michel Salgado
Blackburn
Blackburn
Kevin Doyle
Wolves
Wolves
Goal.com Rating 
Fans' Rating Blackburn 1-2 Wolves: Fletcher & Ward strike as visitors come from behind to hand Rovers a nightmare start
Mick McCarthy's men record opening day victory thanks to goals either side of the break as they begin new season with an impressive away win and all three points
By Alex Fisher at Ewood Park
Season Kickoff! Watch West Brom vs. Manchester United Sunday live at 11 a.m. ET on FOX Soccer. For a complete match schedule, click here.
It was only the first game of the season, but Wolves scored a big win over Blackburn in a battle between two teams tipped by pundits to go down. The victory was Wolves' first over Blackburn in nine attempts, and will come as a welcome boost for Mick McCarthy's men as they started a potentially grueling season on the right note.
Goals from Steven Fletcher and Stephen Ward cancelled out Mauro Formica’s 20th minute opener to give McCarthy’s side all three points on Saturday afternoon at Blackburn's Ewood Park and put pressure on Rovers boss Steve Kean already.
In a fairly even affair Rovers took the lead through Formica but it was then all Wolves as the visitors created numerous chances, with Fletcher getting them level before Ward fired in a left foot volley after Kevin Doyle had missed a penalty.
None of Blackburn’s three summer signings started for Steve Kean but David Goodwillie and Bruno Ribeiro were both named on the subs bench. Formica, though signed in January, was handed his debut in this fixture. A defensive crisis saw youngster Grant Hanley start at the center of defense alongside Steven Nzonzi in the absence of Christopher Samba and Ryan Nelsen.
Mick McCarthy put new signings Roger Johnson and Jamie O’Hara straight into his starting line-up, and Johnson also wore the captain’s armband. McCarthy lined up with a 4-4-2 formation with Fletcher and Kevin Doyle leading the line, with Karl Henry joining up with Jamie O’Hara in the centre of midfield.
Blackburn came out flying, and on 20 minutes opened the scoring through debutant Formica, although all the credit should go to Jason Roberts. The striker battled for a long ball over the top of the Wolves defense before laying the ball right into the path of the Argentine who calmly slotted the ball past Hennessey. The Wolves keeper managed to get a hand on the low shot but it wasn't enough to stop the ball rolling over the line.
That goal seemed to spark the visitors into life and with their first real attack they equalized through Fletcher. Richard Stearman and Matt Jarvis combined down the right before Jarvis lifted the ball to the back post where Fletcher out-jumped Salgado to head past Robinson. The equalizer well and truly sparked Wolves to life, as they continued to create dangerous chances through the remainder of the first half, but couldn't finish them off.
Wolves began the second half as they had finished the first and in the first minute they took the lead for the first time in the match through Ward. Fletcher charged at the Blackburn defense before releasing Jarvis inside the penalty area, he tried to go past Salgado but the Spaniard brought him down. Kevin Doyle's spot kick was saved by Robinson but when the ball was cleared to the edge of the penalty area Ward rifled in a left foot volley to give the visiting side a lead it would not relinquish.
Despite going behind early in the half, Blackburn was not able to create any serious threats until late on, and the team's inability to finish of its moves will surely give Kean and his side some headaches moving forward.
Goal
Own Goal
Penalty
Penalty Missed
Yellow Card
Assist
Penalty Save
Penalty Shootout Goal
Penalty Shootout Miss
Yellow Card / Red Card
Red Card
Substitution IN
Substitution OUT
Injury
Goal.com Rating
Goal.com Man of the Match
Goal.com Flop of the Match
Top & Flop Global Ranking
Fans' Man of the Match
Fans' Flop of the Match
Results
Times In EDT
Top Scorers
| Player | Goals | Penalties | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Robin van Persie
Striker Arsenal |
30 | 2 |
|
Wayne Rooney
Striker Man United |
27 | 6 |
|
Kun Agüero
Striker Man City |
23 | 3 |
|
Aiyegbeni Yakubu
Striker Blackburn Rovers |
17 | 4 |
|
Emmanuel Adebayor
Striker Tottenham |
17 | 3 |