• Date: Sun 09 December 2007
  • Venue: Ewood Park
  • Ref: Wiley, A
  • Attendance: 20,870

Blackburn Rovers vs West Ham United

Team Lineups

Blackburn Rovers

Brad Friedel
Christopher Samba
Stephen Warnock
Aaron Mokoena (Robbie Savage, 46)
Andre Ooijer
Morten Gamst Pedersen (Jason Roberts, 76)
Brett Emerton
Kerimoglu Tugay
David Dunn (Steven Reid, 70)
Benni McCarthy
Roque Santa Cruz

West Ham United

Robert Green
Danny Gabbidon
Matthew Upson
Lucas Neill
George McCartney
Matthew Etherington (Dean Ashton, 46)
Scott Parker
Nolberto Solano (Jonathan Spector, 76)
Hayden Mullins
Luis Boa Morte
Carlton Cole (Henri Camara, 88)


Live Text Commentary
Full time
 

It's finished and it's a great away win for West Ham thanks to Ashton's 52nd-minute goal.

90

Emerton's shot is wide - time's virtually up now

90

Boa Morte's shot is well saved by Friedel late on

90

Four minutes of added time to play

89
Substitution
 

Striker Henri Camara is replacing Cole as we edge towards stoppage time

87

Tugay's volley is brilliantly saved by Green again

87

Ooijer is forced off with what looks like a hamstring strain, Rovers down to 10 with all three subs already used

85

There's been so much more action in the second half but it looks like West Ham are closing in on a good win

83

Ashton blasts over from just inside the box - a second Hammers goal now would win it

81

Reid fouls Parker - not the impact Hughes would have been hoping for from the substitute

78

Santa Cruz shoots over, time beginning to run out for Rovers

77
Substitution
 

Pedersen also goes off to be replaced by Jason Roberts

77
Substitution
 

Both sides are making a change - Solano is replaced by Jonathan Spector for the visitors

76

Pedersen's cross is headed just wide by Roque Santa Cruz - a close shave that for the Hammers

73

Just under 20 minutes remaining for Blackburn to find an equaliser

72

Samba needs treatment after that tackle but is just about OK to return eventually

70

Boa Morte's volley is well saved by Friedel

70
Substitution
 

Dunn is eplaced by Steven Reid by Mark Hughes

69
Yellow Card
 

Cole is shown yellow after a poor challenge on Samba

68

It was a decent opening for Pedersen - he should have maybe hit the target at least there

67

Pedersen just drags his shot wide, better from Blackburn though

64

Another Tugay shot from far out is deflected but Green is behind it

62

It's livened up nicely after the early goal in the second half with Rovers chasing the game now

60

Ashton then lets fly at the other end but it's over - well over

57

Samba's great header is saved well low down by Green before the West Ham keeper then saves well from Ooijer from the rebound

55

Green has to push a cross over his bar as Rovers look for a quick response to that goal

53

McCartney did well out wide, getting to the byline before pulling it back and it was easy for Ashton to slot home

51
Goal
 

Ashton makes an immediate impact, scoring for West Ham from George McCartney's inch-perfect cross

49

Brad Friedel has not had much to do so far and he easily gathers a West Ham corner under little pressure

47

Not too many clear-cut chances in the first half, it should be better in the second

45
Substitution
 

West Ham make a change at the interval too - Dean Ashton is on in place of Matthew Etherington

45
Substitution
 

Aaron Mokoena is off for Rovers at half time, Robbie Savage comes on

Second half
 

The players return for the second half

Half time
 

Even at the break, half-time and it's goalless at Ewood

45

Samba does well to deny Cole as West Ham press

44

Fairly even stuff as we approach half time

41

Pedersen shoots but his effort is well saved by Robert Green to give Rovers a corner, a good chance though

40

Hesitancy from Warnock at the back almost gives the Hammers an opening before Solano eventually lets fly but his strike goes over

39

Stephen Warnock's cross is not good enough for Dunn

37

Most of the chances in the first half so far have been from distance - this game will surely liven up after the break

34

Parker's shot is wide before Etherington is caught offside at the other end

32

Hayden Mullins fouls the strangley subdued Benni McCarthy

30

West Ham will be happier with the game so far but it remains goalless

27

Pedersen's corner is met by Ooijer but his header flies over

26

Plenty of blocked shots at Ewood - this time Pedersen's strikes Neill

24

Lucas Neill aims a ball up for Carlton Cole but Samba again does well and heads it behind for a corner

23

Parker's shot for the visitors is well blocked by Samba at the other end

21

Brett Emerton's cross is dealt with well by Scott Parker

18

It was a decent strike by Tugay but always looked like it was going wide

17

Tugay's shot from distance is wide

15

After that initial flurry of activity early on, there's now not loads to report

13
Yellow Card
 

Andre Ooijer is the first player booked for a foul on Luis Boa Morte

12

Matthew Etherington's cross is overhit and it goes out of play

9

After that last comment, it's now gone a bit quiet at Ewood

6

It's been a good, lively opening here

5

David Dunn fires a great effort at the other end, it's very close to the opener from fully 25 yards

3

Solano's corner is met by Matthew Upson - but his header is wide, the Hammers look good early on though

2

Nolberto Solano's cross is well headed behind by Chris Samba as West Ham start brightly

Kickoff
 

The action begins in the 4pm Sunday kick off at Ewood

Awaiting Kickoff
 

Rovers make just one change, David Bentley is suspended so Morten Gamst Pedersen comes in, West Ham are unchanged from the side that lost 1-0 at Chelsea last weekend