- Derbyshire (84)
- Date:2008-09-20
- Kick-off:15:00
- Venue:Ewood Park
- Attendance:19398
- Referee:Probert, L
Live Commentary
90mins
Full-Time: BLACKBURN 1-0 FULHAM. That's the final whistle and Blackburn's hard-working performance is rewarded with all three points.
90mins
There will be three minutes of added time - can Blackburn hold onto their win?
90mins
Blackburn corner is taken short before it is crossed into the box to find Villanueva who almost curls the ball into the net. That would have been a fine goal.
89mins
Should Blackburn hold onto their lead, it will be their first victory at Ewood Park this season and only their second win under Ince.
88mins
Bullard fires a shot over the bar as the away side search for an equaliser - maybe it is just not their day.
87mins
The Blackburn fans are in fine voice now, their team have worked hard for their lead.
86mins
It was a case of being in the right place at the right time for Derbyshire as he drifted in from the left hand side.
84mins
BLACKBURN 1-0 FULHAM. Blackburn finally get their goal as DERBYSHIRE gets on the end of a Santa Cruz flick on to tuck the ball into the net.
84mins
After some good play from Murphy and Johnson, the ball reaches Konchesky on the left wing but his cross is poor and easily dealt with by Samba.
82mins
Blackburn just can't seem to break through this Fulham defence, they are having lots of the ball but their touch in the final third is constantly letting them down.
80mins
It does seem as though Fulham are happy enough with things to stay as they are - Hodgson is yet to make a change and perhaps they are content with a point.
78mins
Derbyshire's first involvement in the game is to burst forward before losing the ball to Paintsil who he then proceeds to foul.
76mins
Tungay plays one of his trademark guided passes into the path of Andrews who can't quite get his foot on the ball in order to get a shot away.
75mins
Keith Treacy - who has worked very hard today - is replaced by Matt Derbyshire as Ince makes his final change of the game.
75mins
Paintsil pushed forward from the back and produces a deep cross looking for Zamora, but Samba gets their first and heads the ball away.
74mins
The home side are looking more likely to get themselves ahead, but they still haven't tested Schwarzer half as much as Ince would have liked them to.
72mins
A neat Blackburn move results in Andrews finding Villanueva on the edge of the box, but his first effort in a Blackburn shirt is high, wide and handsome.
70mins
With twenty minutes to go, we are still no closer to having a winner to this game. You get the feeling that one goal would win it.
68mins
Even if Blackburn can't win this game, they will want to make sure they avoid defeat. If they do lose, it will be their worst start to a Premier League campaign since 1998.
67mins
The introduction of Villanueva certainly produced a positive reaction from the home fans - can he get the goal they crave?
65mins
Carlos Villanueva comes on for his Premier League debut replacing Roberts for the home side.
64mins
Emerton does well to keep the ball in play to find Roberts who can't keep hold of the ball - that's poor from the striker.
63mins
This game is very much end to end now as Johnson's shot from a tight angle is superbly saved by Robinson before Nelson clears the danger. Another excellent save from the England keeper.
62mins
A scrappy piece of play deep in the Fulham half results in the ball falling to the feet of Samba who fires his shot wide of the post.
61mins
Blackburn make their first change of the game with Kerimoglu Tugay coming on to replace Pedersen.
60mins
It has been a very frustrating afternoon for Zamora. For the third time today he can't find the target with a header.
60mins
Fulham's front two of Zamora and Johnson exchange passes once again, but Warnock is determined to stop them shooting and does well to win back possession for his side.
59mins
Ince may consider a change soon, his team are playing ok but they just need that extra spark in the final third of the field.
57mins
Johnson wins the ball after a Zamora flick on and does well to beat two Blackburn defenders before Stephen Warnock wins the ball and ends any chance of a shot at goal.
56mins
The impressive Emerton does well again as he finds Roberts with a cross, but the striker can only glance his header wide of the goal. The home side are on top now.
55mins
Blackburn are gettin increasingly frustrated with proceedings and the crowd are making plenty of noise - perhaps it will spur them on to taken the lead.
54mins
Johnson and Bullard combine well before the latter chips in a ball over the top of the Blackburn defence, but it just avades Zamora who was waiting in the box.
52mins
The Blackburn fans aren't happy with the referee after Treacy beats Paintsil before being brought down by the defender only for play to be waved on.
51mins
Emerton shows his skill again by beating two Fulham defenders, but in the end he attempts to take on too many players and loses the ball.
50mins
Fulham come forward again and this time they do get a shot on goal but Bullard's effort goes straight into the arms of Robinson.
49mins
Murphy does well for Fulham and finds Johnson who is tackled superbly by Nelson just as he was about to get his shot away.
48mins
Both these teams are very well established in the Premier League nowadays, this is their eigth season in the top flight since promotion in 2001.
47mins
There are no changes for either side - I imagine both managers will look to change things at some point in the game though.
46mins
It was a rather even first half with limited chances for either side and it will be interesting to see how the teams go about this second period.
46mins
The second half is underway with both teams searching for that all important first goal.
45mins
Half-Time: BLACKBURN 0-0 FULHAM. The resulting corner is taken deep by Emerton, but doesn't cause any problems as the half-time whistle sounds.
45mins
Blackburn are finishing this half strongly as Keith Treacy fires a shot towards goal only for it to be deflected wide for a corner.
45mins
A corner for the home side is whipped in by Pedersen but it fails to beat the first defender - such a frustrating set piece from the winger.
44mins
Roberts makes a darting run into the penalty area before squaring the ball to Emerton who again loses the ball - this time to Danny Murphy.
43mins
Emerton looks to launch another attack for his side, but this time he gets caught in two minds and loses the ball before he can do anything with it.
41mins
Emerton bursts forward with some superb skill before firing an excellent effort towards goal only to watch his effort come back off the post. Superb play from Emerton - an inch to the right and it would have been 1-0 Blackburn.
40mins
As we approach half time with no goals being scored, it is worth noting that it is 17 games since Fulham were involved in a 0-0 draw - so expect goals at some stage!
38mins
Free kick for Fulham taken by Bullard finds the head of Zamora, who again can't direct his effort goalwards. He should have tested Robinson there - great chance for Zamora.
36mins
Santa Cruz gets his first chance of the game, but after being played through by Pedersen, he can't beat Schwarzer and the attack ends.
35mins
Murphy whips a ball into the box and finds the head of Zamora, but he can only watch as his effort goes wide of the target.
34mins
It is worth mentioning that Fulham manager Roy Hodgson used to manage Blackburn and it will mean a lot to him if he can get a win against his old team.
33mins
Emerton is shown a yellow card for another challenge on Bullard - the England midfielder will have a few bruises after the game today!
32mins
Although Roberts is heavily involved in every Blackburn attack, his strike partner Santa Cruz hasn't created much and Ince will want this to change soon.
31mins
The game has got rather scrappy now - Fulham look to push forward but after Bobby Zamora's flick on, Davies is caught offside.
30mins
Pedersen wins a corner for his side which is headed away well by Aaron Hughes - Blackburn aren't making the most of their set pieces so far.
29mins
Bullard is back on his feet as play gets underway, but he doesn't look too great and is limping his way through proceedings.
28mins
Bullard is still down after that challenge, after an awful injury last year - let's hope he is fit to continue today.
26mins
The first yellow card of the game is shown to Andrews after he put in a high challenge on Bullard - he can consider himself lucky that he only recieved a yellow. Awful tackle.
26mins
Roberts is involved again for Fulham, this time he flicks on a long ball from the back searching for the run of Santa Cruz - again though, Schwarzer gets their first.
25mins
Roberts works well with Roque Santa Cruz before they find Kerimoglu Tugay on the right hand side, but his cross is claimed by Schwarzer in the Fulham goal.
23mins
Blackburn free kick in a central position is taken by Pederson but it goes straight into the Fulham wall - that was a powerful effort but was never getting past the Fulham defenders. A chance to test Mark Schwarzer is wasted.
21mins
Bullard gives the ball away in his own half, but Roberts fails to get the ball under control and Fulham manage to clear the danger.
20mins
Brett Emerton is riding his luck somewhat after two poor challenges in quick succession. The latest tackle on Bullard sees him getting a warning from the referee.
18mins
You get the feeling that the first goal is very important today. If Fulham get it, the Blackburn players' confidence will be hit considering their recent results.
17mins
Blackburn are having to be patient as Fulham are closing them down at every given opportunity and forcing Paul Ince's team to play the ball around at the back.
15mins
Free kick for Blackburn in a decent position is taken by Morten Gamst Pedersen but it just avades the sliding Christopher Samba at the back post.
14mins
Fulham are forced to play the ball over the top for the first time in search of Johnson, but Robinson gets there before the former Everton striker.
13mins
It has to be said that both teams are playing some good passing football so far today and it is turning out to be a very entertaining first half.
11mins
Good build up play from the home side results in another long range effort from Andrews, but again he fails to hit the target.
10mins
The home side are finding their feet now. This time Jason Roberts' shot from a tight angle goes just wide of the post - much better from Rovers.
8mins
Blackburn launch their first attack of the game before the ball falls to the feet of Keith Andrews who volleys the ball into the side netting. Good effort from the former MK Dons man.
8mins
Bullard and Danny Murphy exchange passes before the latter is tackled well by Ryan Nelsen - the home crowd are getting restless already.
7mins
Robinson's save is worth another mention - it really was superb and one which has prevented his side going 1-0 down so early on.
6mins
Blackburn are yet to get started and Fulham are looking by far the better side in the opening few minutes. Paul Ince will be concerned.
5mins
Fulham are playing nicely so far and they almost open the scoring. Simon Davies squares the ball to Andrew Johnson who forces a fantastic save from Paul Robinson.
3mins
Jimmy Bullard whips the ball in from the right-hand side aiming for John Paintsil, but Stephen Warnock manages to head the ball away. Early pressure from the away side.
2mins
As for Fulham, they are in decent form overall - they have won their last three games in the league and cup.
1mins
Blackburn will want to improve on recent results today - they have lost their last two games, conceding four goals in each.
1mins
They're underway at Ewood Park with Blackburn searching for their first home win of the season against a Fulham side that have yet to pick up a point on the road.
Match Preview
Paul Ince's honeymoon spell at the helm of Blackburn Rovers is officially over as he prepares to welcome Fulham to Ewood Park at the weekend.
Ince has seen a promising start to life as a Premier League slowly ebb away on the back of a draw and two heavy defeats.
Last weekend his charges were given a footballing lesson in a 4-0 home defeat to Arsenal, while their last game before the international break was a 4-1 loss to West Ham United.
Rovers have slipped into the bottom three on the back of their three-game winless sequence, but Ince is confident that results will improve in the coming weeks.
"It's early doors and I'm not thinking about positions at the moment," he said. "All I'm thinking about is performances and I'm just looking forward to next week's game."
Rovers are sweating on the fitness of Vince Grella (calf), David Dunn (calf) and Andre Ooijer (hamstring) after the trio all missed the visit of the Gunners with injuries which cropped up around the international break.
Fulham arrive at Ewood Park with their tails up and on the back of a impressive start to the new season.
Last weekend's 2-1 win over Bolton Wanderers - their second Premier League victory in succession - moved them up to seventh in the fledgling table and provided further evidence that Roy Hodgson has built a squad with much more strength and depth than the one that narrowly avoided relegation last term.
Their four league goals this season have come from four different scorers, with summer arrivals Bobby Zamora and Zoltan Gera on the mark after particularly impressive performances against Bolton.
Andrew Johnson also looked likely on his Cottagers debut following his big-money move from Everton as he formed an instant partnership with Zamora.
advertisement
advertisment
Match Report
Super sub Matt Derbyshire came to Blackburn Rovers' rescue with a late winner at home to Fulham.
Having toiled for over 80 minutes, Rovers recorded their first home win of the season thanks to Derbyshire's clinical left-foot finish.
A managerial masterstroke saw all three Rovers substitutes combine as Paul Ince got the better of his former Inter Milan employer Roy Hodgson.
Before the game, Ince made one change to the side that lost 4-0 at home to Arsenal last weekend, with Keith Treacy handed his full Premier League debut in place of Steven Reid.
Meanwhile, former Blackburn boss Hodgson stuck with the same starting eleven that beat Bolton last time out.
On an unseasonably hot day, both sides started the game with plenty of attacking intent. After just four minutes, Fulham's Simon Davies found space on the right, his low centre was flicked goalwards by Andy Johnson, but Paul Robinson made a stunning reaction save.
On eight minutes, Stephen Warnock's free-kick to Jason Roberts was headed back into the path of the advancing Keith Andrews, whose first-time volley brushed the outside of the net.
Moments later, Roberts almost capitalised on John Paintsil's misplaced header, but his early effort sailed wide of the far post.
Rovers continued to dominate inside the opening quarter of an hour, with Andrews firing over and a Morten Gamst Pedersen free-kick causing confusion in the Fulham defence.
As the half progressed, Bobby Zamora twice headed over from Fulham free-kicks, while Roque Santa Cruz's crisp strike was well kept out by Mark Schwarzer.
The closest either side came to breaking the deadlock arrived five minutes before the break, when man-of-the-match Brett Emerton robbed Danny Murphy in midfield, before curling a delightful effort onto the top right-hand corner of the post from the edge of the Fulham box.
The start of the second half failed to match the same intensity as the first, with neither side registering an effort on goal in the opening 15 minutes.
After finding himself clean through on goal, Johnson had an excellent opportunity to open the scoring on 63 minutes, but the former Everton forward was again denied by a superb Robinson save.
Rovers rang the changes, with Carlos Villanueva introduced for his Premier League bow and the Chile international almost made an immediate impact after a neat one-two with Andrews.
But it was another substitute who stole the headlines at Ewood Park. On 84 minutes, Villanueva's floated pass was headed down by Santa Cruz and Derbyshire finished with aplomb from inside the box.
Villanueva almost put the icing on the cake with a sublime left-foot strike late on, but Rovers held out for a deserved win.
Blackburn Rovers Team
Fulham Team
Blackburn Rovers | Fulham |
Corners
| 4 | 3 |
Fouls
| 13 | 11 |
Goal attempts
| 11 | 11 |
Shots off target
| 6 | 6 |
Offsides
| 3 | 6 |



90mins
Santa Cruz shows his strength by holding the ball in the corner of the Fulham half - good time wasting from the striker. Not long to go now.