Source: Daily_Mail
Blackburn 3 Wolves 0: Paul Robinson and Morten Gamst Pedersen turn up trumps
There's one team beginning with the letter 'B' receiving all the plaudits for their march up the Barclays Premier League table. It is not Blackburn. Bolton have been receiving gushing praise for their pass-and- move winning ways, but victory for Rovers over their cross-county rivals next week will see Sam Allardyce guide his team past his former club. Watching Blackburn is not easy on the eye, but Big Sam can rely on at least two men to dig them out of a hole when they need it most. Enlarge All smiles: Blackburn's turn in fortunes coincided with the return of key man Pedersen (L)Backs against the wall and desperate for redemption against Wolverhampton Wanderers after that Old Trafford humiliation, Rovers were skating on ice thinner than that surrounding Ewood Park. Step forward Paul Robinson and Morten Gamst Pedersen. How ironic that a goalkeeper can be so dazzling in a 3-0 victory. And how sweet that Pedersen's left foot created two of Blackburn's goals with fizzing set-piece deliveries. Pedersen was absent for that 7-1 thumping just nine days ago. But there was no sign of the dodgy hamstring on Saturday - just precise passes and perhaps the fleeting thought of what might have been had he faced Manchester United. Enlarge While the end result was one-sided, Rovers are not peppering opposition keepers with a shoot-on-sight policy. Prior to this match, they had the fewest shots on target (50) of any top-flight club. They managed seven against Wolves - more than double their average - although better opposition would have certainly reduced that tally. 'We're eighth in the league and we're way ahead of last season's points total,' said Allardyce, pointedly. Not bad for a team that was ridiculed this time last week. Grinding out results has always been Allardyce's forte. Now, in Pedersen's dead-ball expertise - his corner set up David Dunn's opener, before Ryan Nelsen prodded home a wicked free-kick for Rovers' third after Brett Emerton's emphatic finish for the second - the Blackburn manager has found the perfect foil for his hard-nosed pragmatism. When anything did go wrong, Robinson saved the day - and his team-mates - with some of the finest shot-stopping. Enlarge Saving the day: Blackburn No 1 Paul Robinson was in inspired formMatthew Jarvis, George Elokobi and Stephen Hunt (twice) all thought they had beaten the former England keeper. All stood in disbelief as Robinson turned into a one-man roadblock. If only Mick McCarthy had the same tools at his disposal. Grumpy Mick can be forgiven for his abrasiveness when most Saturdays turn into a wretched bout of angst and frustration. Blackburn 3 Wolves 0: Pedersen pulls the strings for Big SamSnood watch: Ferdinand's cold war with the top-flight softies in glovesBLACKBURN ROVERS FC