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Played
January 2, 2012 10:00 AM EST
Ewood Park — Blackburn
Referee: L. Mason
Attendance: 20615
January 2, 2012 10:00 AM EST
Ewood Park — Blackburn
Referee: L. Mason
Attendance: 20615
Top of the Match
Peter Crouch
Stoke
Stoke
Peter Crouch
Stoke
Stoke
Flop of the Match
Radosav Petrović
Blackburn
Blackburn
Radosav Petrović
Blackburn
Blackburn
Goal.com Rating 
Fans' Rating Blackburn Rovers 1-2 Stoke City: Peter Crouch brace downs struggling hosts to pile pressure back on Steve Kean
The former Liverpool striker's first-half double helped Tony Pulis' side to victory at Ewood Park, with David Goodwillie grabbing a consolation strike for the hosts
By Alex Fisher
LANCASHIRE, U.K. - A first half double from Peter Crouch earned Stoke a 2-1 victory at Ewood Park and subjected Blackburn to its eighth home defeat of the season and fire the Potters to their fourth away win of season.
The England striker’s first goal was the 100th league goal of his career but it was his second just before half time that knocked the wind out of Blackburn’s sails and sealed the points for the visitors. David Goodwillie got one back for the home side in the 70th minute following a goalmouth scramble but it wasn’t enough for Steve Kean’s side.
The Rovers boss made just one change to the side that were victorious at Old Trafford with Spanish youngster Ruben Rochina dropping to the bench and David Dunn returning to the center of midfield. That saw see Mortern Gamst Pedersen move to the left wing and Dunn slotting in alongside Steven Nzonzi.
There were four changes to the Stoke side that could only draw with Wigan. One was in defence as Jonathan Woodgate returned in place of Andy Wilkinson, and the other three changes were all in midfield as Ryan Shotton, Glenn Whelan and Dean Whitehead all started in place of Jermaine Pennant, Wilson Palacios and Rory Delap.
The home side started the better using the confidence from its victory at Old Trafford to spur it on and it thought it had the perfect start in the fourth minute. Chris Samba first headed a right wing corner against the bar after beating Ryan Shawcross, then from another corner the Rovers captain thought he had opened the scoring when he again beat Shawcross to head in at the back post but it was disallowed for a dubious foul on Thomas Sorensen.
Rovers continued to press and experienced midfielder Dunn had a great chance to put his side into the lead in the 10th minute as he latched onto a loose ball on the edge of the Stoke penalty area but his low was easily smothered by Sorensen.
Four minutes later the Stoke comeback began as Shotton went very close to breaking the deadlock with a long range strike. The Blackburn defense backed away from the midfielder and invited him to shoot, which he did but his 25 yard shot whistled just wide of Bunn’s right hand post.
For all of Blackburn’s early pressure it was undone in the 17th minute as Crouch scored the 100th league goal of his career and his seventh of the season. Whitehead chipped a ball into the penalty area for Crouch, he challenged with Samba and managed to control the ball on his chest. As the ball dropped to the floor Samba slipped which allowed Crouch to rifle the ball into the back of the net from six yards.
That setback could have floored Rovers but they got themselves back onto the front foot and Samba was again their main attacking threat. Shawcross’ headed clearance from a left wing free kick only looped up towards Samba on the edge of the penalty area, he brought the ball down and fired a left foot shot towards the bottom corner but Sorensen got down well to tip the ball wide.
With the half coming to an end Stoke caught their hosts out with a second goal from a shift counter attacking move. Etherington was released on the left hand side, he raced past Jason Lowe and from the edge of the Rovers penalty area chipped a cross over the stranded Henley for Crouch. The striker controlled the ball on his thigh and emphatically volleyed left footed into the top corner.
The visitors began the second half in control of the game and their relaxed approach saw them play saw excellent football but they lacked the clinical touch in front of goal. The home side were struggling to create any clear cut chances and all they could muster were a couple of goalmouth scrambles which the organised Stoke defense was able to clear easily.
Crouch came within inches of scoring an outstanding third goal midway through the second half, he broke through a challenge on the right edge of the penalty area before firing towards the top right hand corner of Bunn’s goal but it was just the wrong side of the woodwork.
With 20 minutes to go Blackburn got itself a lifeline through substitute David Goodwillie. A left wing Pedersen corner saw a goalmouth scramble and the sub bundled the ball over the line from two yards.
With 11 minutes to play Blackburn thought they had equalized through Yakubu but somehow the striker was denied from two yards out. A long throw was flicked onto the Nigerian who looked certain to score from two yards but a fantastic block from Woodgate saw the ball drop into the arms of Sorensen and the danger averted.
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The England striker’s first goal was the 100th league goal of his career but it was his second just before half time that knocked the wind out of Blackburn’s sails and sealed the points for the visitors. David Goodwillie got one back for the home side in the 70th minute following a goalmouth scramble but it wasn’t enough for Steve Kean’s side.
The Rovers boss made just one change to the side that were victorious at Old Trafford with Spanish youngster Ruben Rochina dropping to the bench and David Dunn returning to the center of midfield. That saw see Mortern Gamst Pedersen move to the left wing and Dunn slotting in alongside Steven Nzonzi.
There were four changes to the Stoke side that could only draw with Wigan. One was in defence as Jonathan Woodgate returned in place of Andy Wilkinson, and the other three changes were all in midfield as Ryan Shotton, Glenn Whelan and Dean Whitehead all started in place of Jermaine Pennant, Wilson Palacios and Rory Delap.
The home side started the better using the confidence from its victory at Old Trafford to spur it on and it thought it had the perfect start in the fourth minute. Chris Samba first headed a right wing corner against the bar after beating Ryan Shawcross, then from another corner the Rovers captain thought he had opened the scoring when he again beat Shawcross to head in at the back post but it was disallowed for a dubious foul on Thomas Sorensen.
Rovers continued to press and experienced midfielder Dunn had a great chance to put his side into the lead in the 10th minute as he latched onto a loose ball on the edge of the Stoke penalty area but his low was easily smothered by Sorensen.
Four minutes later the Stoke comeback began as Shotton went very close to breaking the deadlock with a long range strike. The Blackburn defense backed away from the midfielder and invited him to shoot, which he did but his 25 yard shot whistled just wide of Bunn’s right hand post.
For all of Blackburn’s early pressure it was undone in the 17th minute as Crouch scored the 100th league goal of his career and his seventh of the season. Whitehead chipped a ball into the penalty area for Crouch, he challenged with Samba and managed to control the ball on his chest. As the ball dropped to the floor Samba slipped which allowed Crouch to rifle the ball into the back of the net from six yards.
That setback could have floored Rovers but they got themselves back onto the front foot and Samba was again their main attacking threat. Shawcross’ headed clearance from a left wing free kick only looped up towards Samba on the edge of the penalty area, he brought the ball down and fired a left foot shot towards the bottom corner but Sorensen got down well to tip the ball wide.
With the half coming to an end Stoke caught their hosts out with a second goal from a shift counter attacking move. Etherington was released on the left hand side, he raced past Jason Lowe and from the edge of the Rovers penalty area chipped a cross over the stranded Henley for Crouch. The striker controlled the ball on his thigh and emphatically volleyed left footed into the top corner.
The visitors began the second half in control of the game and their relaxed approach saw them play saw excellent football but they lacked the clinical touch in front of goal. The home side were struggling to create any clear cut chances and all they could muster were a couple of goalmouth scrambles which the organised Stoke defense was able to clear easily.
Crouch came within inches of scoring an outstanding third goal midway through the second half, he broke through a challenge on the right edge of the penalty area before firing towards the top right hand corner of Bunn’s goal but it was just the wrong side of the woodwork.
With 20 minutes to go Blackburn got itself a lifeline through substitute David Goodwillie. A left wing Pedersen corner saw a goalmouth scramble and the sub bundled the ball over the line from two yards.
With 11 minutes to play Blackburn thought they had equalized through Yakubu but somehow the striker was denied from two yards out. A long throw was flicked onto the Nigerian who looked certain to score from two yards but a fantastic block from Woodgate saw the ball drop into the arms of Sorensen and the danger averted.
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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 |