Filed under: Blackburn Rovers, Fulham, Premier League, Football, Match Reports
Fulham and Blackburn shared a 1-1 draw at Craven Cottage that kept both teams in the bottom three of the Premier League table and still searching for their first wins.Ruben Rochina's eye-catching strike gave Rovers the lead midway through the first half but an error at the back allowed Bobby Zamora to level before the break.
The game was also marred by injury to Junior Hoilett, who was stretchered off following a collision with Fulham goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer in stoppage time, which was extended by 11 minutes.
GOALS:
31 mins: Hoilett lays the ball back to Rochina on the edge of the box for the Spaniard to blast a left-foot thunderbolt past Schwarzer and in off the underside of the bar.
38 mins: Zamora makes it 1-1 with a quality finish - although Gael Givet's powder-puff challenge on the left of the Rovers area also helped.
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS:
9 mins: Damien Duff gets the better of Gael Givet down the right and sets up Steve Sidwell, who fires just wide.
12 mins: Hoilett sends Rochina away but he tries to trick one defender too many and Schwarzer is able to save the shot that follows.
15 mins: David Goodwillie sends a bicycle kick just over.
22 mins: Rovers were lucky to escape conceding a penalty when Scott Dann gifted Zamora possession and Michel Salgado bundled the striker over in the box.
57 mins: Referee Howard Webb fails to give Rovers a penalty when Sidwell appeared to bring Hoilett down. Fulham counter through Jon-Arne Riise and Givet did well to stop Zamora getting on the end of the cross.
73 mins: Danny Murphy breaks free in the box but Paul Robinson pulls off a leaping save.
85 mins: Goodwillie fires across goal and wide after more good work from Hoilett.
90 mins: Schwarzer booked for clattering Hoilett outside the box. Could have been red. Goodwillie almost nicks it for Rovers from the deflected free kick.
REACTION:
Blackburn manager Steve Kean confirmed Hoilett's injury was not as bad as first feared.
"He needed three or four stitches in the side of his head and got a bang on his eye. He was out for a little bit of time, and he'll probably be concussed. It's good that he's up on his feet, and he'll get himself stitched up and will be fine."
The Scot felt Schwarzer should have been sent off by referee Webb.
"I was expecting him to send him off. When I spoke to Howard, he felt that even if Hoilett had got the first touch, (Fulham defender Stephen) Kelly was coming round. At the time, and at the pace it happened, I thought it would be a red card."
Kean did not feel Schwarzer had been deliberately reckless though.
"Schwarzer thought it might result in a goal, so he went all out for it. Hoilett, too. It was just a good professional attempt from each to score or prevent a goal."
Kean had been under pre-match pressure with suggestions he would be sacked if Rovers lost.
"Speculation in the press has just been speculation in the press, not from within the club. I've got fantastic backing from the owners, and I'm in contact with them every day. They're happy with the way we're playing. We had backing in the window, and have a competitive squad, so we have a squad that will finish in the top half. It's been a slow start, but we should already have had three or four points on the board before today. We'll stick at it."
Fulham manager Martin Jol did not feel Schwarzer should have been shown more than a yellow card.
"I've seen the challenge again and, while Hoilett is a terrific player and a nice guy and went for the ball, but Mark Schwarzer was clattered as well. It was a 50-50 situation."
The Dutchman was frustrated not to turn superior possession into goals however.
"They protected crosses well, but you need to come up with good solutions. We needed better finishing. I've heard we lacked a cutting edge, maybe today we did."
New signing Bryan Ruiz had a debut to forget but Jol backed him to come good.
"Bryan has to get used to the English game, and he'll do that. There are a lot of foreigners who never cope with that, but he's an intelligent guy who wants to achieve things with us. He scored a lot of goals. He couldn't get there where he~s good, in the box where he's deadly."
WHAT IT MEANS: That Kean will keep his job, for now. That both sides need a little extra to give their seasons the kick-starts they require. Neither look that bad but are finding performances better than the points tally.
FULHAM 1 (Zamora 38) BLACKBURN ROVERS 1 (Rochina 31)
PLAYER MARKING:
Fulham (4-2-3-1): Schwarzer 6; Hughes 6 (Kelly 20, 6), Senderos 6, Hangeland 7, J A Riise 6 (Johnson 80, 5); Murphy 6, Sidwell 6; Ruiz 4 (Dembele 46, 6), Duff 7, Dempsey 6; Zamora 7.
Subs (not used): Etheridge, Kasami, Gecov, Grygera.
Blackburn Rovers (4-2-3-1): Robinson 7; Salgado 6, Samba 6 (Olsson 46, 6), Dann 6, Givet 6; Dunn 6 (Petrovic 52, 6), Nzonzi 6; Rochina 7 (Lowe 71, 5), Formica 6, Hoilett 9; Goodwillie 6.
Subs (not used): Bunn, Yakubu, Vukcevic, Roberts.
ATTENDANCE: 24,856
REFEREE: Howard Webb
NEXT UP:
- Fulham v FC Twente (Home), Europa League, 15/09 2005 BST
- Blackburn v Arsenal (Home), Premier League, 17/09 1500 BST
MAN OF THE MATCH: Junior Hoilett (Blackburn). Was a constant worry to the Fulham back-line, especially when cutting in from the left at speed. Sadly, he will now be missing as he recovers from his collision with Schwarzer.
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