Match Reports

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http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/mar/05/fulham-blackburn-rovers-premier-league

Fulham grab late win as Bobby Zamora sinks Blackburn from the spot


Comments (1) Observer report


Fulham 3 Duff 37, Duff 59, Zamora (pen) 89 
Blackburn Rovers 2 Hanley 45, Hoilett 65 



James Callow at Craven Cottage guardian.co.uk,

Saturday 5 March 2011 17.16


Fulham's Andy Johnson rides Bobby Zamora's shoulders in celebration after the latter's winning penalty against Blackburn Rovers. Dickson Etuhu is alongside them. Photograph: Matthew Childs/Action Images

So this is what Mark Hughes has been pining for. Fulham's fans had resigned themselves to a 15th draw in 29 league games as the stewards readied themselves for the final whistle, but Bobby Zamora, on as a substitute for his first league appearance since September, sealed victory from the penalty spot and consigned Blackburn Rovers to a fifth consecutive away league defeat.

Fulham took half an hour before they could muster their first clear shot on target, with Clint Dempsey feeding into Dickson Etuhu's feet, and the midfielder's snap shot was gathered at the second attempt by Paul Robinson.

But Robinson's yips carried through to the next attack, and this time it led to a goal. Damien Duff spotted a vacuum in the Blackburn left-back area, collected Etuhu's crisp and then cut on to his left foot before firing through and beyond Robinson at the goalkeeper's near post.

If Etuhu may have had the feeling that the ball was following him then it was confirmed shortly before the break, as he twice found possession on the edge of the Fulham area but gifted it straight back to Blackburn. Feet from both sides shuffled, bodies scuffled but the outcome was Grant Hanley's first career goal, albeit with the help of a significant deflection off Brede Hangeland.

It was a tough blow for Fulham, who had taken their brief superiority for granted, but Duff remained a nuisance, buzzing in from the right wing shortly after the break with Chris Samba able to do no more than deflect the ball on to his own crossbar.

Duff's second goal was simple enough but perfectly executed, as he collected a short pass from Moussa Dembélé and hammered the ball crisply to Robinson's left.

Fulham's defensive affliction remained, however, and after Chris Baird cleared a Mame Biram Diouf header off the line, Blackburn equalised, with Junior Hoilett volleying home after Jason Roberts had made a nuisance of himself in the six-yard box.

Zamora could have won a penalty with his first touch when he fired a free-kick against Diouf's elbow, but when the second opportunity came he did not fluff his lines. Mark Clattenburg awarded Fulham a penalty after Hanley checked Aaron Hughes at a corner, and Zamora fired hard and true past Robinson.

Fulham were delighted, Blackburn less so: Gaël Givet was shown a red card after the final whistle.

[White Noise]

http://www.skysports.com/football/match_report/0,19764,11065_3284566,00.html

Fulham deny resilient Rovers

Zamora scores controversial late penalty as Cottages edge thriller


By Jamie Casey  


Last updated: 5th March 2011    


Man of the match: Damien Duff was the star man against his old club, scoring two goals and running the show from start to finish.

Goal of the match: Duff's second was vintage stuff as he drifted in on his left-foot before unleashing a low drive, beating Paul Robinson at his near post.

Save of the match: Robinson will be disappointed with the first goal, but he was still on form with a low save from Dickson Etuhu in the first half.

Turning point: Andy Johnson felt he should have had a penalty moments before one was awarded, was Clattenburg's soft decision influenced by this?

Talking point: Are Rovers now in a relegation fight? Can Fulham kick on now Zamora is back in Premier League action?

Bobby Zamora scored the winner from the penalty spot upon his return to Premier League action in a 3-2 win for Fulham over Blackburn at Craven Cottage.

In a pulsating encounter, Damien Duff scored twice against his old club, first handing them the lead on 37 minutes with a low drive.

Rovers levelled through a deflected Grant Hanley strike before half-time, but Duff restored Fulham's advantage with another powerful drive shortly before the hour mark.

Resilient Rovers came back again, though, with Junior Hoilett neatly volleying home six minutes later.

Referee Mark Clattenburg then awarded the hosts a controversial 87th minute penalty, after he adjudged Hanley to have fouled Fulham defender Aaron Hughes.

Zamora, a substitute for Danny Murphy, thumped the penalty down the centre on his first league appearance since breaking his leg against Wolves five months ago.

Changes
Blackburn boss Steve Kean made six changes to the team thrashed 4-1 by Aston Villa and should be pleased by a spirited display, despite defeat.

However, Rovers have now lost four of their last five league games and are hovering dangerously close to the relegation zone.

Fulham will argue that they should have been awarded a penalty shortly after Duff's opener when Christopher Samba appeared to trip up Andy Johnson, but Mr Clattenburg was unmoved.

Jason Roberts drew an early save from the impressive Mark Schwarzer but the acute angle meant the Australian keeper was the favourite in the opening.

Blackburn conceded a free-kick just outside the area when Samba shoved Clint Dempsey in the back, but Chris Baird blasted the set-piece into the wall with Duff then blazing high on the rebound.

Johnson went close with a near-post volley after a delightful delivery from Duff, but the striker could not wrap his foot around it well enough.

The Cottagers were marginally more incisive in attack, with Rovers a threat on the break, and their reward came in the 37th minute through Duff.

Dickson Etuhu slid the ball to Duff who raced into the area, collected on his right before cutting inside Martin Olsson onto his left and drilling the ball towards goal.

Paul Robinson, his sight partially blocked by Olsson, dipped his hands to his right but could not get enough on it to keep the ball from finding the net.

Fulham were unlucky not to win a penalty moments later when Samba tripped Johnson without touching the ball, but Clattenburg was unconvinced.

The Cottagers' good work was undone in first-half injury time, however, when Etuhu lost the ball to Hanley on the edge of his area.

Hanley took the ball forward and pulled the trigger with his shot deflecting off the head of Hangeland, inside Schwarzer and into the net.


Second-half
Samba almost turned the ball into his own net as the second half got under way before Baird was forced to scramble a cross to safety.

A series of hair-raising moments in the Blackburn area saw Fulham subdued by some desperate defending, the pick of which resulted in Dempsey being denied from close range.

A second Fulham goal seemed inevitable and it arrived in the 59th minute when Duff struck once again.

Moussa Dembele and Johnson exchanged passes before the ball was slipped to Duff who powered his shot past Robinson from the edge of the area.

But once more their lead was shortlived as poor defending in the 66th minute that saw the ball bounce around the left post allowed an unmarked Hoilett to control and slam home.

Blackburn were now on top and it was Fulham who were having to scramble to clear their lines.

Jermaine Jones was gifted time to shoot by the home defence but his effort still sailed wide.

But the last 10 minutes belonged to Fulham with a poor first touch from Duff squandering good work from Zamora.

Robinson made a fine save from Johnson before the Cottagers' pressure told with a minute to go.

Hanley held back Hughes at a corner and Clattenburg pointed to the spot where Zamora rifled home the winner.

Rovers players, aggrieved at the late penalty call, surrounded Clattenburg at the final whistle and the referee appeared to brandish a red card, although it remains unclear at who it was directed.
Fulham
Team Statistics
Blackburn Rovers

3 Goals
2

1 1st Half Goals
1

7 Shots on Target
7

5 Shots off Target
3

8 Blocked Shots
5

9 Corners
7

13 Fouls
19

2 Offsides
1

2 Yellow Cards
3

0 Red Cards
0

71.6 Passing Success
60.6

20 Tackles
22

65 Tackles Success
86.4

55.1 Possession
44.9

48.2 Territorial Advantage
51

[White Noise]

Fulham 3 Blackburn Rovers 2: match report
Read a full match report of the Premier League game between Fulham and Blackburn Rovers at Craven Cottage on Saturday March 5 2011.
      LIVEREPORT FULHAM3 - 2
FTBLACKBURN Saturday, March 05 15:00
Premier League
Craven CottageDuff (37, 59)Zamora (89) (HT 1-1)
ATT: 25,687 Hanley (45+1)Hoilett (65)


Image 1 of 2
On target: Bobby Zamora scored the decisive goal - from the penalty spot - to hand his side victory  Photo: PA


By Ben Findon 5:00PM GMT 05 Mar 2011 Comment

Fulham striker Bobby Zamora powered home a late penalty on his league return from a broken leg sustained last September to finally subdue a battling Blackburn Rovers.

Damien Duff, the former Blackburn winger, struck twice only for Blackburn to hit back each time, through a Brede Hangeland own goal and a David Hoillet volley, but the vistors had no answer to Zamora's late intervention.

Blackburn were furious at the spotkick award, given against Grant Hanley, and referee Mark Clattenburg appeared to show a red card to Christopher Samba, the Blackburn captain, after the final whistle.

Last week's 4-1 capitulation at Aston Villa prompted Blackburn manager Steve Kean to order extra training and the immediate product was an industrious opening from the visitors, who held Fulham at bay and looked dangerous on the break.

Duff, wide on the right, was Fulham's preferred choice of outlet and he gave Blackburn two early scares. His cross was met with an angled side-foot by Andrew Johnson that had just too much elevation, then defender Martin Olsson had to move quickly to divert another centre away from the lively Fulham forward.

Blackburn sprang forward in the 25th minute, Hoillet playing the ball into the feet of Mame Biram Diouf, who cannoned a shot against Mark Schwarzer's legs.

Fulham, however, were gaining the ascendancy and soon after Robinson had smothered Dickson Etuhu's turn and shot, the Londoners took a 37th-minute lead. Etuhu spotted Duff lurking on the edge of the penalty area and the former Blackburn favourite struck a low shot that flew in under Robinson.

It could have been a lot worse for Blackburn two minutes later when Samba appeared to foul Johnson after the Fulham forward had adroitly foiled the Blackburn captain's attempt to shepherd the ball out of play.

Clattenburg, under additional scrutiny after the Wayne Rooney controversy of the previous weekend, waved away concerted penalty appeals.

Blackburn, however, were not no mood to be swept away for a second week in succession and drew level in first-half added time. An untidy scramble around the Fulham penalty spot ended with Hanley's effort taking a deflection off Hangeland's head to leave Schwarzer no chance.

Fulham, however, moved back in front just before the hour mark when Duff collected a short pass from Clint Dempsey and, from just outside the penalty area, drilled low past Robinson.

Duff, and the crowd, were enraged three minutes later when his surge in search of a hat-trick appeared to be halted by an elbow in the back by Steven Nzonzi. Clattenburg was again unmoved, drawing further fury from home fans when he booked Chris Baird, for a foul, and Johnson, for dissent, moments later.

Fulham's mood was scarcely improved when Blackburn drew level again in the 66th minute, Hoillet lashing home after Roberts had flicked the ball back from the touchline.

Mark Hughes, the Fulham manager, introduced Zamora with 20 minutes remaining and the striker kept a cool head to settle matters from the penalty spot iin the closing stages.

[White Noise]

Just Rewards


Saturday 5th March 2011




Mark Hughes was pleased that his Fulham side came away from Saturday's Barclays Premier League encounter against Blackburn with all three points.

"We're pleased, it was a difficult game from our point of view," said Hughes after the match. "We found it difficult to get the ball down and play our stuff and create the momentum that we normally create when we go up against opposition here.

"But that's credit to Blackburn because they competed well all over the field of play and had a good physical presence with plenty of pace – so we had to be on our mettle today.

"We kept on getting the ball down and on occasions created good opportunities. At one-nil to the good, I thought we were good value for that, but we had a bit of a setback prior to the break. In the second-half it was nip-and-tuck, the game swung from end to end – thankfully from our point of view we were able to keep going and we got our reward.

"Damien Duff played excellently today, he got two goals and really carried his form on from the game against Man City. I'm delighted that Bobby was able to make such an impression. He's been a long time out and showed real leadership, grabbed the ball and dispatched the penalty for the winner."


Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2011/March/HughesBlackburnReaction.aspx#ixzz1FkpAxDVo