Source: Daily_Mail
Blackburn 0 Everton 0: Turgid battle is a TV turn-off
SKY probably knew what they were letting themselves in for when they chose this one for live coverage and Blackburn and Everton duly delivered at Ewood Park last night.
A tight, often turgid battle between two teams who, in making themselves very difficult to beat, do not figure high on the list of English football's box-office attractions.
The best league in the world? Not on this evidence it isn't.
Neither manager was entirely satisfied with the result. Sam Allardyce's Blackburn slipped back into the relegation zone and while Everton gained a point on Aston Villa, David Moyes knows his team are unlikely to win the race for that fourth Champions League slot.
Our ambition is still to finish fourth,' said a defiant Moyes, who confirmed that striker Victor Anichebe is due to have surgery on his knee cartilage and will be out for the rest of the season.
No team has a divine right to win here in the Premier League. It was a game of few chances and at least it's the first time that Blackburn haven't beaten us this season.'
As well as knocking Everton out of the Carling Cup on this ground in September, Blackburn opened the season with a 3-2 win at Goodison.
That the highlight was a stunning first-half save by Rovers' reserve goalkeeper Jason Brown speaks volumes. Brown, deputising for the injured Paul Robinson, lunged to his right to turn away Steve Pienaar's blast from 10 yards seven minutes before half-time after Phil Jagielka's hooked cross from the right ran through to the South African.
Tim Cahill twice put the ball straight into Brown's arms, first with a close-range header and then a 30-yard blockbuster, but otherwise the keeper was rarely troubled, which was just as well because he finished the game struggling with a groin injury.
Roque Santa Cruz fired just wide from 15 yards for Blackburn in the second half and Stephen Warnock went close to another when his inswinging free-kick rattled the top of Everton's bar.
But Jason Roberts wasted by far their best chance when Everton's centre-backs were caught out by a long clearance down the middle. He raced clear and tried to prod the ball under Tim Howard with his right foot but the keeper saved with his legs.
'You're not going to get many chances against a side like Everton and you have to take them but we didn't,' said Allardyce.
