Source: Daily_Mail
Blackburn 2 Birmingham 1: David Dunn's double gives Brum the Blues
It will be of no consolation to Birmingham fans that they finally saw the best of David Dunn on Wednesday night. [LNB]By his own admission, Dunn was a waste of money after Birmingham paid Blackburn £5.5million for him in 2003. They received little in return in three-and-a-half years plagued by back and hamstring injuries.[LNB]Now happily settled back in Lancashire, he is enjoying his football again and on Wednesday he showed his best form with two goals to beat his old club and almost guarantee Blackburn's Premier League survival for another year, sealing a fifth win in six home games.[LNB]Matchwinner: David Dunn celebrates[LNB]It was not all plain sailing for Dunn, however. He had to be separated from team-mate Michel Salgado by El Hadji Diouf, of all people, when the pair clashed as they headed down the tunnel at half-time. [LNB]Dunn was then forced off towards the end following a crude tackle by former Blackburn midfielder Barry Ferguson that angered Sam Allardyce.[LNB]The Blackburn boss was also furious that referee Mark Clattenburg denied Dunn a hat-trick by ruling out his fine strike for Salgado's foul on Lee Bowyer just before half-time. [LNB] Battle: David Dunn holds of Craig Gardener [LNB]Allardyce denied that was the reason for the bust-up, saying: 'I'mnot quite sure what the interpretation was between Spain and Blackburn.They had a bit of a tussle in the dressingroom and we told them to calmit down and sort it out later. [LNB]'It's nice to have a bit of friction every now and then![LNB] Good times: David Dunn celebrates with Chris Samba [LNB]'While we're not safe yet, it's enough for us to look up rather thandown. It means we can go to Burnley on Sunday and play our local rivalswith less fear.'[LNB]MATCH FACTS BLACKBURN (4-5-1): Brown 7; Salgado 5, Samba 6, Jones, 6 Olsson 5; Andrews 6, Nzonzi 6; Pedersen 5, Dunn 8 (Emerton 87min), Diouf 6 (Hoilett 69, 6); Kalinic 6 (Roberts 46, 6). [LNB]Booked: Dunn, Andrews.[LNB]BIRMINGHAM (4-4-2): Hart 6; Carr 6,Dann 5, Johnson 6, Ridgewell 6; Gardner 6 (Larsson 74, 6), Bowyer 5, Ferguson 6, Fahey 6 (Phillips 79); Jerome 5 (Benitez 73, 6), McFadden 7. [LNB]Booked: Carr.[LNB]Man of the match: David Dunn.[LNB]Referee: Mark Clattenburg. [LNB]Dunn struck after only four minutes. Predictably, it started withChris Samba's long punt, which Birmingham fatally allowed to bouncetowards their own penalty box. [LNB]City's Roger Johnson won his header, but only nodded the ball intothe path of Dunn, who beat Joe Hart with a volley from 20 yards. [LNB]Jason Brown did well to deny James McFadden soon afterwards, lunging to his right to turn away the Scot's shot, but he was powerless to stop the same player scoring a deserved equaliser after 55 minutes.[LNB]McFadden sent a sweet left-foot strike around the wall and into the bottom corner. [LNB]Dunn made sure of the points in the 67th minute, getting ahead of Stephen Carr almost on the goalline to head in Diouf's inswinging corner.[LNB] PREMIER LEAGUE LIVE: Latest news from Villa, Blackburn, Man City and PortsmouthWhich clubs will pounce on the Portsmouth players up for grabs in the Fratton Park super sale? McLeish challenges McGeady and Boyd to prove themselves in England [LNB] [LNB]
