Source: Daily_Mail
Blackburn 1 West Ham 1: Rovers frustrated as Neill puts body on the line
Predictably, Sam Allardyce left Ewood Park snarling about referee Chris Foy after Blackburn[LNB]failed to lift themselves away from relegation trouble.[LNB]Big Sam and his pal at Hull City, Phil Brown, seem to take it in turn to berate match officials and yesterday Allardyce was fuming at West Ham[LNB]'s 35th-minute opener through Mark Noble.[LNB]Never mind that the goal was created with a classic series of one-touch passes, completed when Noble tucked away Diego Tristan's pass with the outside of his boot, the Rovers boss was angry that nobody had spotted Luis Boa Morte marginally offside earlier in the move.[LNB][LNB] ONE FOR ME: Keith Andrews (right) hails his leveller for Blackburn[LNB] He fumed: 'I have been angry at losing early goals this season butnot today. It wasn't the fault of my players - it was the fault of thereferee's assistant. With so much at stake, the officials' decisionshave to be spot-on. There was no excuse for the assistant not to seethe offside.'[LNB]Fortunately for the more sophisticated supporter,West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola is as charming as Allardyce isconfrontational, even though his side conceded a 51st-minute equaliserto sub Keith Andrews.[LNB] WEST HAM NEWS FROM ACROSS THE WEB[LNB]BLACKBURN NEWS FROM ACROSS THE WEB[LNB]Portsmouth 2 Everton 1[LNB]Fulham 2 Man United 0[LNB]Stoke 1 Middlesbrough 0[LNB]Tottenham 1 Chelsea 0[LNB]West Brom 1 Bolton 1[LNB]Blackburn v West Ham: How the game unfolded[LNB]Newcastle 1 Arsenal 3[LNB]'I didn't see the offside, but we alsomight have had a penalty when Christopher Samba pushed Kieron Dyer. Itwas very, very close,' twinkled the Italian.[LNB]Zola inherited aclub in crisis owing to the Icelandic banking crash and an anticipated£20million pay-out to Sheffield United over Carlos Tevez, leading to aJanuary fire sale of top players, including Craig Bellamy. But somehowthey are in seventh place and looking good for the final European spot.[LNB][LNB] LAUGHING BOYS: West Ham celebrate Mark Noble's goal at Blackburn[LNB]'Ihope we can have the problem of being in too many competitions nextseason,' he said. 'It will be a nice problem. Playing in Europe isalways a fantastic experience and we will do everything we can to getthere.'[LNB]West Ham's escape from Ewood Park owed more to heroicdefending than the beautiful game Zola is known for. Ex-Rovers defenderLucas Neill, booed throughout by home fans on his return, will bebattered and bruised this morning having got so many blocks in.[LNB][LNB] COLLECTOR'S ITEM: Kieron Dyer in action at Ewood Park[LNB]WestHam scored with a Zola-style goal when Noble started a glorious move inhis own half. Boa Morte may have been offside in the build-up, but whatfollowed after was exquisite, with the Portuguese winger and Tristanexchanging passes before Noble finished with aplomb.[LNB]Allardyce'sdecision to introduce Andrews at half-time paid quick dividends whenMorten Gamst Pedersen's long throw was headed by Herita Ilunga straightto the Rovers sub, who scored his first Ewood Park goal from eightyards.[LNB]Rovers might have gone on to win it but James Tomkins,Scott Parker and Neill got their bodies in the way of everything firedat them.[LNB]BLACKBURN (4-4-2): Robinson; Ooijer (Andrews 46min), Samba, Nelsen, Givet; Diouf, Mokoena, Warnock, Pedersen; McCarthy, Roberts.[LNB]Subs (not used): Brown, Tugay, Dunn, Khizanishvili, Villanueva, Treacy.[LNB]Booked: Nelsen, Mokoena.[LNB]WEST HAM(4-4-2): Green; Spector, Tomkins, Neill, Ilunga; Noble, Parker, Kovac, Boa Morte (Lopez 79); Tristan (Payne 90), Di Michele (Dyer 82).[LNB]Subs (not used): Lastuvka, Sears, N'Gala, Stanislas.[LNB]Booked: Parker.[LNB]Referee: C Foy (Merseyside).[LNB] WEST HAM NEWS FROM ACROSS THE WEB[LNB]BLACKBURN NEWS FROM ACROSS THE WEB[LNB]Portsmouth 2 Everton 1[LNB]Fulham 2 Man United 0[LNB]Stoke 1 Middlesbrough 0[LNB]Tottenham 1 Chelsea 0[LNB]West Brom 1 Bolton 1[LNB]Blackburn v West Ham: How the game unfolded[LNB]Newcastle 1 Arsenal 3[LNB][LNB] [LNB]
