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  • Kick-off: 15:00
  • Venue: Ewood Park
  • Attendance: 17859
  • Referee: Webb, H

Live Commentary

90mins

BLACKBURN ROVERS 2 -1 WIGAN ATHLETIC

88mins

The fourth official signals 2 minutes of added time to be played

86mins

Hughes prowls his technical area looking pensive as he checks his watch nervously

84mins

Paul Jewel's men push forward in search of a point but it's Rovers who look the more threatening

81mins

BLACKBURN ROVERS 2-1 WIGAN ATHLETIC (MCCARTHY): McCARTHY slots home from close range after great work from super-sub Jason Roberts

80mins

The game enters the final ten minutes, with this match balancing on a knife edge. It's frantic stuff at Ewood Park

77mins

Brown pulls off another good save from Scharner who powerfully struck a shot from 25 yards

75mins

A triple save from Substitute goalkeeper Brown keeps Rovers hopes of taking all three points from this game alive

75mins

Penalty to Wigan as Heskey is felled by Ooijer

73mins

Lee McCulloch comes on for Kilbane

71mins

Ex-Wigan frontman Roberts will be desperate to get on the score sheet against his former team-mates

69mins

A double substitution as Tugay makes way for Aaron Mokoena and Jeffers is replaced by Jason Roberts

67mins

Denny Landzaat booked for a cynical foul on Pedersen

65mins

Valancia goes off and is replaced by Gary Teale

65mins

Camara makes way for Todorov

63mins

Somehow Kirkland managed to nick the ball away from Jeffers foot as the goal was gaping, Rovers beginning to look good for a goal as they dominate possession

61mins

Baines booked for a late challenge on Emerton

59mins

The tempo of the game has increased ten-fold as both teams push for a goal

57mins

Kilbane leaves a leg in on Emerton A wonderful free-kick from Savage is tipped over at full stretch by Kirkland

55mins

Ooijer inside the box tries to loop the ball to the far post but it flies over the bar for a goal-kick

53mins

Rovers look impressive as they have a vibrant energy about their play, but still they can't seem to get beyond the Wigan back-line

51mins

Jeffers and Pedersen just come up short in their joint attempt to meet a good Bentley cross. The ball falls safe and Wigan look to attack

49mins

Kilbane fires from range, the ball flies high over the bar a the Wigan man balloons his effort

47mins

De Zeeuw blocks a rasping shot from McCarthy as Rovers fire out of the blocks

45mins

Wigan kick off the second half with Blackburn surely bouyed by their late first half equaliser

45mins

HALF TIME: BLACKBURN ROVERS 1 -1 WIGAN ATHLETIC

45mins

BLACKBURN ROVERS 1-1 WIGAN ATHLETIC (BENTLEY): BENTLEY fires the home side level with a curling effort into the far corner

44mins

The Fourth official signal 1 minute of added time to be played

42mins

Hughes stands in the technical area with a forlorn look as his troops just haven't produced any qaulity in the game so far

40mins

Blackburn push forward desperately searching for that goal, but in doing so leave gaps at the back a s a lively Heskey looks to exploit.

38mins

A finger tip save from Kirkland who calmly turns a weak effort from McCarthy over for a corner

36mins

McCarthy frustrated again as he strays offside once more in his eagerness to get the leveller

34mins

Jeffers breaks free from his marker but can only fire wide of the post from on the angle

32mins

Heskey needs to bite his lip as he continues to contest the referees decision. Howard Webb issues the striker his final warning

30mins

A scrappy few minutes as passes start to be misplaced, as both teams show little quality while on the ball

28mins

Little goalmouth action as the game simmers with neither team able to retain possession

26mins

Wigan burst up the other end and Camara fires goalwards, with Friedel beat the ball flies past the upright and out for a goal kick

24mins

McCarthy with another wonderful opportunity after a good ball from Neill, but Kirkland pulls off a flying save to deny the Rovers striker

22mins

Frustration creeping into the home fans as they can see their team are unable to get a hold of the ball

20mins

Scharner booked after a clumsy challenge in the middle of the park

18mins

Neill brings down Valencia who falls rather dramatically much to the annoyance of the Blackburn boss

16mins

A worrying moment for Rovers as Camara looks to be in, but a belated flag brings relief for the home support as he's pulled up for offside

14mins

Blackburn look to be suffering a European hangover as they struggle to get out of first gear

12mins

After a fine display in midweek, Ooijer has started brightly again. A well-timed slide tackle nips the ball away from Scharner

10mins

Paul Jewel's men rally and start to play some nice football, retaining possession well on a greasy Ewood Park surface

8mins

The home side continue to push forward but without reallycreating any openings as Wigan are pushed onto the back-foot

6mins

Benedict McCarthy with a great opportunity bends the ball from 15 yards with his left foot but it fires incges wide of the upright

4mins

Rovers look to bounce straight back after being caught napping early on

2mins

BLACKBURN ROVERS 0-1 WIGAN ATHLETIC (HESKEY): HESKEY opens the scoring early after driving the ball past Friedel from ten yards out

0mins

Howard Webb is todays referee. Blackburn kick off and get the game underway

0mins

WIGAN ATHLETIC make the 22-miles journey for a north west derby, from which they hope to secure a first away win of the season. While Blackburn look to make it three wins on the trot after a poor start to their campaign

Match Report

Goalkeeper Jason Brown had a debut to remember, as Blackburn Rovers recorded their fourth straight win.

The Wales international, a half-time replacement for the injured Brad Friedel, produced a second-half save from the spot, before former Latics' favourite Jason Roberts set up Benni McCarthy's winner late in the game.

Emile Heskey had given the visitors an early lead with a powerful right-foot shot, before David Bentley equalised on the stroke of half-time.

Both managers were forced into a change apiece ahead of the game - the injured Shabani Nonda was replaced by Francis Jeffers in Rovers' attack, while Matt Jackson was tasked with marking the former Arsenal striker, coming in for the unwell Fitz Hall at the back.

Rovers arrived at Ewood Park on the back of two successive clean sheets, but they found themselves a goal down with less than two minutes on the clock.

Emmerson Boyce was played clear down the right flank and from his early ball in across the face of goal, Heskey got in front of his man and fired the ball past Friedel from six yards out.

Two minutes later and Rovers were handed a golden opportunity to equalise and from an almost identical move. Bentley fired across for McCarthy from the right, but the South African star didn't quite connect and toe-ended the ball wide.

Moments later and the former Porto striker again engineered himself a chance. The ball was played into his feet on the left side of the box and after an exquisite first touch, he fired a left-foot shot agonisingly wide of Chris Kirkland's far post.

Midway through the first half and again McCarthy threatened the visitors' goal. After being put clean through, the 28-year-old forced Kirkland to parry clear under pressure from the retreating defence.

Straight up the other end and Henri Camara twice went close within the space of a minute. The Senegalese striker volleyed straight into the arms of Friedel, despite a suspicion of handball, before firing across goal after a mistake by Zurab Khizanishvili.
On 33 minutes, Jeffers almost set up McCarthy after he had been played clean through by a defensive slide tackle, but the Merseyside man did turn provider on the stroke of half-time.

The Wigan defence were outfoxed after Bentley let the ball run through his legs and from Jeffers' immediate return pass, directly into Bentley's run, the England Under-21 international struck a delightful right-foot curler into the far corner of the net.

Making only his third start of the season, Jeffers twice went close early in the second half. Arjan De Zeeuw prevented a strike on goal with a last-ditch tackle, before Bentley almost fed Jeffers, only for Kirkland to smother the ball at the former England striker's feet.

That turned out to be Jeffers' last major involvement in the game, as he was soon to be replaced by former Wigan striker Roberts and the switch ultimately proved dividends.

But it was debutant Brown who proved to be the initial hero on 76 minutes. Andre Ooijer brought down Heskey inside the box and the Welshman produced a triple save to keep Rovers' hopes of maximum points still alive.

After saving substitute Svetoslav Todorov's poorly-struck spot-kick low to his right, he then repelled the Bulgarian's follow-up with his legs, before plucking Lee McCulloch's header out of the air on the line.

And with just nine minutes remaining, the script was set for the home side to steal the winner. From a long clearance over the top, Roberts won the race to the ball, his faint touch took it past Kirkland and McCarthy was left with the simple task of tapping the ball into the empty net for his fifth of the campaign.

As the game entered injury time, Roberts and McCarthy both had glorious opportunities to make the points safe, but a goal apiece from Thursday night's UEFA Cup heroes was enough to see Rovers move up to ninth in the table.

Blackburn Rovers Team

Wigan Athletic Team

Blackburn Rovers

Wigan Athletic

Corners

54

Fouls

1617

Goal attempts

1311

Shots off target

45

Offsides

61

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