Blackburn Rovers 2-0 Fulham: Samba And Nelsen Set-Piece Goals Sink Cottagers

Fulham started the game with two-up front, Andy Johnson again stepping in for the injured Bobby Zamora and partnering Clint Dempsey in attack.

Rovers went into the game looking for their first league win in ten games and the onus for them was to attack from the whistle. This they did, but in the early exchanges the home side lacked the quality in the final-third to test Fulham's Mark Schwarzer in goal.

The Cottagers were the side to have the first real attempt at goal. Stephen Kelly found himself in space on the right and swung in a teasing cross. Dempsey somehow managed to beat the towering Chris Samba in the air but his header was straight at Paul Robinson.

Rovers did not look particularly dangerous from the whistle so it was suprising when they took the lead. Schwarzer parried a stinging Benni McCarthy shot to give Blackburn a corner and the hosts did not waste the set-piece chance. McCarthy swung in the corner ball and confusion between Danny Murphy and his keeper saw the ball scuffed to Samba, who hammered the ball high into the net to give his side a suprise lead.

However, Fulham under Hodgson are made from stern stuff and far from letting their heads drop after conceding, the visitors proceeded to lay siege to the Blackburn penalty box.

Murphy came into the game at this point, and with Blackburn retreating into their own half, it made it easy for Fulham to dominate the ball. Murphy had time to release Andy Johnson and the English striker, playing on the shoulder, smashed a shot that flew wide but got Robinson's attention in goal.

Under pressure Rovers then gave Fulham a corner to the left of goal. The visitors nearly made them pay for it when the cross was deflected off McCarthy and fell to Dempsey. The American was inches from finding the leveller with a sublime over-head kick that rattled the crossbar.

The goal was probably still rattling when Damian Duff came charging into the box moments later and blasted at goal. Robinson parried and Rovers were hanging on.

Fulham continued to press as the half wore on and they were playing neat passes that were opening up Blackburn. Murphy initiated his side's last good chance when he picked out Dempsey with a neat ball on the edge of the area. The impressive USA international turned neatly, but his skill to engineer himself a chance was not matched by the finish as he blasted straight at Robinson.

Rovers managed to hold on somehow and went into the break in the lead.

At the start of the second half the home side made a change, taking off Paul Konchesky and bringing on Toni Kallio.

Neither side looked in the ascendancy early on after the break but much like the first, a goal came out of nowhere.

Martin Olsson drove down the left only to be brought down by Kelly. McCarthy swung in a delicious cross into the danger zone from the free-kick, with only a touch needed to put it past Schwarzer. Captain Ryan Nelsen obliged and nodded it past the keeper to make it 2-0.

If Fulham weren't demoralised after the first goal, they certainly looked more shaky as the half wore on, but Zoltan Gera tried to rail against the odds after the ball fell to him inside the Rovers box. Unfortunately his shot, like much of his teammates' efforts in the game, was straight at Robinson.

The game began to get scrappy as the final whistle approached. Allardyce ensured his side were tight as they attempted to see the game out.

Fulham threw men forward but now without Dempsey on the pitch, they seemed to lack a cutting edge up front.

It was Blackburn who nearly scored the third goal of the game. McCarthy was linking up well with Nikola Kalinic on the break. The Croatian couldn't beat Schwarzer at the death and a rout would be an unfair reflection of the game.

Thus it stayed 2-0 with Blackburn securing a vital three points; Fulham's away woes continue.

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