Source: SKY_Sports
Roberts throws Sam a lifeline
Blackburn dragged themselves out of the Premier League's bottom three with a crucial 2-1 win at Fulham.[LNB] Rovers recovered from the hammer blow of conceding a first minute goal to Clint Dempsey and roared back with two second-half strikes.[LNB]El-Hadji Diouf drew Sam Allardyce's side level on 69 minutes when he tapped in from close range after Christopher Samba headed the ball across goal.[LNB]Then with time running out, Jason Roberts out-muscled Fulham substitute Toni Kallio to turn and fire beyond Mark Schwarzer.[LNB]With the match seemingly in the bag, the visitors still needed Paul Robinson to pull off a brilliant one-handed save at the death as Erik Nevland went for goal in the dying moments.[LNB]Ninety minutes earlier the game had started in amazing fashion for the hosts, with Dempsey putting them ahead after little more than a minute.[LNB]Danny Murphy bundled a high ball through to the American, replacing the rested Bobby Zamora as Andrew Johnson's foil in attack, and a barely-there challenge from Christopher Samba followed by Ryan Nelsen's clumsy follow-up allowed Dempsey room to prod left-footed beyond Robinson.[LNB]The scorching tempo carried on as Dempsey almost turned creator after eight minutes, neatly flicking Simon Davies' low cross into Johnson's path before Stephen Warnock blocked superbly.[LNB]Dempsey continued with his eye-catching early efforts, completely wrong-footing the Rovers defence with a delicate touch that gave Davies sight of goal.[LNB]The Wales winger shot firmly but this time Robinson was able to palm away the danger.[LNB]After 17 minutes, and against the run of play, the scores were almost level.[LNB]Roberts did well to outmuscle the imposing Brede Hangeland but it was Warnock, who jinked inside Aaron Hughes before striking the inside of the post with a wonderful curling effort, who really unlocked the defence.[LNB]Inexplicably, Zoltan Gera failed to make it 2-0 when he headed over an open net from three yards following a long-throw routine.[LNB]DrainedFulham's complete control of proceedings started to falter a touch, with Hangeland and Hughes getting steadily busier as Blackburn worked their way into the game.[LNB]Johnson and Dempsey, meanwhile, continued to prove willing outlets in the final third for the Cottagers, with Davies offering plentiful support out wide.[LNB]By the start of the second period almost all of the skill had drained from the game, with Gera aimlessly losing possession and Murphy's shoddy backpass only going unpunished thanks to a poor touch from Morten Gamst Pedersen.[LNB]Johnson, often so razor sharp in front of goal, also started to struggle, taking three touches to control a perfectly flighted cross from Paul Konchesky and surrendering all momentum in the process.[LNB]It took another fine effort from the unfortunate Warnock to brighten proceedings, the former Liverpool man taking one touch on his chest before volleying hard at Schwarzer's goal.[LNB]Not for the first time this season, the Australian was up to the task, tipping the ball wide at full stretch.[LNB]Johnson narrowly missed another well-placed Konchesky pass on the six-yard line as Fulham tried to rediscover their early vim, but Gael Givet was on hand to clear.[LNB]At the other end substitute Benni McCarthy was having a hard time inspiring Rovers, taking what seemed like an age lining up a free-kick before despatching it harmlessly into the stand.[LNB]Rovers, though, had their equaliser with 21 minutes to play.[LNB]It came in contested circumstances, with Diouf seemingly all of three yards offside when Tugay headed the ball into the home penalty box.[LNB]No flag was raised and when Samba nodded across goal the Senegal forward was in position to convert from close range.[LNB]Moments later Warnock went close for a third time, again striking from distance and again missing by inches as his drilled shot crept just over the crossbar.[LNB]The visitors were by now a side revitalised, with right-back Andre Ooijer even going close, just missing with a 25-yard piledriver.[LNB]With 85 minutes gone Roberts completed the comeback, spinning the lightweight Kallio far to easily in the penalty area before lashing powerfully beyond Schwarzer.[LNB][LNB][LNB]Fulham[LNB]Team Statistics[LNB]Blackburn Rovers[LNB][LNB][LNB]1[LNB]Goals[LNB]2[LNB][LNB][LNB]1[LNB]1st Half Goals[LNB]0[LNB][LNB][LNB]4[LNB]Shots on Target[LNB]8[LNB][LNB][LNB]3[LNB]Shots off Target[LNB]7[LNB][LNB][LNB]5[LNB]Blocked Shots[LNB]2[LNB][LNB][LNB]9[LNB]Corners[LNB]9[LNB][LNB][LNB]14[LNB]Fouls[LNB]8[LNB][LNB][LNB]1[LNB]Offsides[LNB]6[LNB][LNB][LNB]1[LNB]Yellow Cards[LNB]1[LNB][LNB][LNB]0[LNB]Red Cards[LNB]0[LNB][LNB][LNB]67.6[LNB]Passing Success[LNB]70.1[LNB][LNB][LNB]17[LNB]Tackles[LNB]21[LNB][LNB][LNB]88.2[LNB]Tackles Success[LNB]76.2[LNB][LNB][LNB]53.5[LNB]Possession[LNB]46.5[LNB][LNB][LNB]46[LNB]Territorial Advantage[LNB]54[LNB][LNB][LNB][LNB][LNB][LNB]
