Source: Team_Talk
Super-sub Diouf earns Rovers a point
Darren Bent's second-half double looked likely to earn Steve Bruce's men a rare Premier League win on Monday - but Sam Allardyce's Rovers clawed back first through Morten Gamst Pedersen then Diouf.[LNB]Then in a grandstand finish which bore little resemblance to the dismal fare on offer in the first period, Marton Fulop brilliantly parried a point-blank header from Nikola Kalinic - before Chris Samba poked the rebound wide.[LNB]The bare statistics will point to Rovers extending their winless run to eight games, while Bruce's injury-hit side can now number just one win from 11.[LNB]Neither side had showed any sign of improving their winless recent records in a dismal first half, memorable only for the solid debut of David Meyler.[LNB]Meyler cut a composed figure in the centre of the visitors' midfield but all around him there were far too many nerves to fashion clear-cut chances.[LNB]An unusually careless back-header by Ryan Nelsen almost let in Bent in the 18th minute but the striker was pushed wide and the move came to nothing.[LNB]And two minutes later Rovers came close when Morten Gamst Pedersen curled over a ball to the far post and found Benni McCarthy, whose header from a tight angle found the roof of the net.[LNB]Meyler had the chance to make an instant name for himself when he let fly in the 22nd minute with a long-range strike which coasted wide of target.[LNB]Rovers, more desperate for a win in the circumstances, began the second period with a higher tempo but their anxiety to get forward played into the visitors' hands.[LNB]Against the run of play, Daryl Murphy threaded his way into the Rovers box in the 52nd minute and sparked the goalmouth melee which brought the visitors' opener.[LNB]Murphy's low cross was flapped by Robinson into the path of Jordan Henderson. When his shot was blocked by Ryan Nelsen, Bent was on hand to lash in the rebound.[LNB]But Rovers responded by drawing level inside a minute, McCarthy's flick leaving Pedersen in space down the left to cut in and drill a low shot in off the post past Fulop.[LNB]Rovers maintained their new-found momentum and could have gone ahead in the 57th minute when Andrews just failed to connect with Pedersen's deep cross in front of goal.[LNB]But the visitors regained the lead against the run of play in the 65th minute when Henderson's punt forward sent Bent clear to slide a cool finish across Robinson and into the net for his 13th goal of the Premier League campaign.[LNB]Two minutes later Rovers came close to a second quickfire equaliser, as Pedersen crossed to the edge of the box where Nzonzi spooned a fine chance over the bar.[LNB]After Bent was played through again to fire a hat-trick chance inches wide in the 72nd minute, Allardyce had seen enough and responded with a triple substitution.[LNB]Forced to throw caution to the wind, the Rovers boss introduced Diouf, Franco di Santo and Nikola Kalinic in place of McCarthy, Jason Roberts and David Hoilett.[LNB]And in the 77th minute Allardyce's brave move paid off when Diouf got on the end of a cross by former Sunderland team-mate Pascal Chimbonda to head home the equaliser.[LNB]Rovers should have snatched victory in the dying seconds when Kalinic's header from a Pedersen free-kick was brilliantly saved by Fulop, with Samba failing dismally to convert the rebound.[LNB][LNB]
