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Blackburn had a number of chances to get something out of this game but Steed Malbranque made them pay.
Fulham counter and work space for Steed Malbranque but his shot takes a deflection and goes just wide.
Rovers put together a good passing move but Jonathan Stead can't hit the target from 6 yards out.
Mark Pembridge gets booked following a late tackle on Robbie Savage.
Blackburn come forward again and find Stead in space but his shot from the edge of the box goes wide.
Blackburn are throwing everything at Fulham but have come up against a brick wall.
The home side are chasing the game now and throwing everything forward which leaves them open at the back.
Blackburn make another change and replace Morten Gamst Pedersen with Matt Derbyshire.
Rovers look to get something out of the game but Jonathan Stead misses the target when well placed in the box.
Lee Clark finds space in the box and squares to Malbranque who rifles past Friedel from the centre of the box.
Jonathan Stead slides in on Moritz Volz and picks up a yellow card.
Lucas Neill pulls a ball back for Jonathan Stead but Edwin Van Der Sar just manages to save the ball on the goal line.
Following a late tackle Liam Rosenior kicks out at Robbie Savage and follows Short down the tunnel.
Craig Short reacted badly to Boa Morte's tackle and pushed the Fulham player to the ground and gets his marching orders.
Luis Boa Morte flies in very late on Ryan Nelsen and earns a yellow card.
Mark Hughes makes a change and brings on Kerimoglu Tugay for Aaron Mokoena.
Blackburn are looking to press Fulham back and they earn a free kick but David Thompson blazes his shot into the crowd.
Rovers hadn't started the second half well but since falling behind they have taken the game to the visitors.
Robbie Savage steps up to take the penalty but it is at a nice height for the keeper who makes the save.
Luis Boa Morte upends Morten Gamst Pedersen in the box and the referee awards a spot kick.
Blackburn look to hit back and find space for Emerton in the box but he hits the post from 6 yards out.
Mark Pembridge whips over a corner to the far post and Brian McBride has a free header to give Fulham the lead.
Zat Knight rises highest to head past Brad Friedel from a corner but the referee indicates that he had fouled Craig Short.
Fulham counter and feed Steed Malbranque but his shot is straight at Brad Friedel.
There are no changes at half time and Fulham get the game restarted.
Blackburn started well and, over the half, have created the better chances but Fulham have managed to hold their own.
Brett Emerton swings over a great cross from the right but Morten Gamst Pedersen heads wide from 6 yards.
The tackles are flying in now but both teams are conceding free kicks which is not allowing either team to settle.
Lucas Neill brings down Luis Boa Morte and picks up a yellow card.
The game has got a little scrappy now as both teams are giving away free kicks and getting caught needlessly offside.
Stephen Reid has taken a knock and has to be replaced by David Thompson.
The ball breaks to Malbranque in the area, after Lucas Neill miscontrolled, but the Frenchman blazes over.
Morten Gamst Pedersen whips in a great cross to the 6 yard box but Ryan Nelsen can only head over.
Jonathan Stead does well down the right as he beats Knight to a through ball and then earns a free kick in a dangerous position.
Fulham have certainly come into a lot more, particularly through Malbranque, and the game is hotting up.
Blackburn have started the better of the two sides and will be disappointed that they have let Fulham back in so easily.
Rovers try to hit back straight away and feed Stead in a dangerous area but his curler from the edge of the box goes just wide.
The ball is played over the top for Lee Clark and he had time and space to pick out Malbranque who tapped into an empty net from 6 yards.
Blackburn are putting the Fulham rearguard under pressure with some dangerous balls into the middle but Fulham are managing to keep them at bay.
Pedersen and Johansson combine well down the left and Pedersen whips in a dangerous cross but Knight just manages to put it behind for a corner.
Fulham have come into it a little more and they are beginning to enjoy more of the possession but have created nothing yet.
The home side are looking very comfortable at the moment and so far Fulham have yet to trouble the Rovers defence.
Blackburn Rovers have come out of the traps flying but Fulham just have not got going yet.
Stead flicks onto Emerton who cuts in from the right and dinks the ball through to Lucas Neill who slides the ball into the far corner from just inside the box.
Rovers are on the offensive again and earn a corner that falls to Emerton in the box but his shot is blocked.
Blackburn force an early free kick but Lucas Neill's drilled cross evades everyone.
Phil Dowd gets the game underway.
Two goals from Steed Malbranque earned Fulham an unexpected win in an eventful match which saw two players sent off and Blackburn's Robbie Savage miss the first penalty of his career. Malbranque was the difference between the two sides as Fulham took revenge for Rovers' 2-0 win at Craven Cottage earlier in the season. It looked plain sailing for Blackburn when Lucas Neill put them ahead after six minutes with his first goal of the season. Neill combined with fellow Australian Brett Emerton in a lovely move before shooting home from 12 yards. Malbranque, a thorn in Blackburn's side throughout, fired Fulham level in the 20th minute from a Brian McBride cross. Rovers responded to dominate the later stages of the first half with Jonathan Stead, Ryan Nelsen and Morten Gamst Pedersen all missing chances that looked easier to score. But it was the Cottagers who started the second period on top and they were unlucky to see a goal harshly cancelled out for foul when Zat Knight headed home a corner from Mark Pembridge. Eight minutes after the restart Fulham's persistence was rewarded when another Pembridge corner found McBride unmarked at the far post and the big American striker's finish was clinical. Blackburn should have been level in the 56th minute when Emerton burst clear only to see his shot bounce clear off a post, and an even better chance arrived soon after. Luis Boa Morte was adjudged to have pushed Pedersen in the box but Savage's penalty was saved by Edwin van der Sar. Then came a crazy two-minute spell during which both teams were reduced to ten men. First to go was Blackburn skipper Craig Short who pushed over Boa Morte after the Fulham winger had been guilty of a poor challenge on Nelsen. Fulham's Liam Rosenior followed soon after when he too raised his hands to push over Savage in a moment of madness. The game developed into something of a farce late on with both teams going in search of further goals, but it was Fulham who found a route through the efforts of Malbranque. A three-man move resulted in the ball falling for the midfield star, who made no mistake from 12 yards. Blackburn manager Mark Hughes said: "We found we had no gas left in our tank and it was a poor performance by recent standards. "Fulham have some tricky players who we never managed to get a grip of and we also contrived to miss several great chances ourselves." Of Short's dismissal, he added: "Craig is very disappointed but he knows that he can't raise his hands in that fashion." Fulham manager Chris Coleman said: "Liam has no excuse for what he did but I was pleased with the effort of the team and this is a very timely win after our recent difficulties. "We showed great character and a lot of composure on the ball too, and it paid dividends. "We could have fallen to pieces after we went behind but we didn't - the opposite in fact." Man of the match Steed Malbranque An outstanding performance from the French playmaker left Blackburn's engine-room facing a nervous breakdown.
Corners
Fouls
Goal attempts
Shots off target
Offsides
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