Stalemate at Ewood Park

29 August 2009 17:22
Blackburn teenager Junior Hoilett spurned the best chance of a fairly tedious goalless draw against West Ham at Ewood Park. The 19-year-old substitute's 20-yard chip over Robert Green in a one-on-one with the goalkeeper dropped onto the top of the net in the 77th minute. Prior to that Carlton Cole had the visitors' best effort, curling wide a 20th-minute shot from a narrow angle while Rovers defender Chris Samba fired over from the edge of the penalty area in the first half. The game began brightly with debutant Pascal Chimbonda's surging run down the left touchline resulting in James Collins being booked for a foul on Morten Gamst Pedersen. David Dunn lofted over the ninth-minute free-kick which Samba headed back across goal but the stretching Jason Roberts could not divert the ball in. Samba was then involved at the other end as some neat interplay between Junior Stanislas and Luis Jimenez set up Cole only for his shot to be blocked by the big Rovers defender.

Source: Eurosport