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Martin Blackburn at SunSport |
Blackburn 2 Fulham 0
EARLY-BIRD Benni McCarthy provided the perfect wake-up call to bring Blackburn out of their mid-season slumber.
The unsettled South African has been dragged in for extra training at 7am in a bid to get him fit and firing.
And it must have done the trick as he came back just as the alarm bells were starting to ring for boss Sam Allardyce.
Rovers are willing to listen to offers for the former Porto striker this month but he underlined his importance by creating goals for Chris Samba and Ryan Nelsen to help end a desperate nine-match winless run in the league.
But surely McCarthy's performance will have given Big Sam and the Ewood board something to think about if - as expected - they get some offers in the next fortnight.
He seems to think he should play every week with the World Cup in his home country an ideal way to round off his successful career.
But Allardyce warned: "Benni's situation is a very delicate one for us.
"There's no getting away from the fact he is not getting any younger. Choosing the right games for him is very crucial to us. But he did well today."
The 32-year-old could be said to be Blackburn's version of Robinho: Infuriating, with a questionable attitude, particularly away from home.
But he is also a huge talent and when he turns it on it seems unthinkable Rovers could even consider letting him go.
Certainly if he does leave, most of their fans would be sorry to see the back of him - even if they do make a bid for Stoke's James Beattie.
The Rovers faithful were delighted as Allardyce - sometimes criticised for being too negative at Ewood Park - restored him to the line-up and started a home game with two up front.
It had been four games and three months since Blackburn' s last victory here and that run has prompted some fans to question if Big Sam is the right man to take them forward.
So maybe a home match against a Fulham side who are not the best travellers was just what the doctor ordered for Allardyce and his players.
This game was sandwiched in between their Carling Cup semi-final double-header with Aston Villa. And Rovers seemed to be suffering a hangover from their first leg until McCarthy brought them to life.
He showed great technique to spin on the edge of the box and fired a 25-yarder that stung Mark Schwarzer fingers. The resulting corner was hacked away by Damien Duff - straight into the path of Samba who, marked his 100th appearance by stabbing home.
That goal should have settled Rovers' nerves but instead they were extremely lucky to still be in front at the break as Fulham took complete control.
Andy Johnson ballooned over when he was clean through while Paul Robinson saved smartly from Duff and Clint Dempsey.
American Dempsey almost scored the goal of the weekend as he chested Danny Murphy's free-kick then hit the bar with an overhead kick.
If Rovers' luck was out against Villa on Thursday, this must have been payback as it seemed only a matter of time before the Londoners equalised. Yet 10 minutes into the second half the home side were 2-0 up.
McCarthy sent over a free-kick from the left and Nelsen had acres of space to flick a header over Schwarzer.
Roy Hodgson must have been bitterly disappointed with his team's defending - although the New Zealand skipper may have been offside.
Fulham could have got back into it as Zoltan Gera forced another save out of Robinson.
And ref Kevin Friend seemed to do Rovers a good turn when Samba appeared to pull back sub Erik Nevland as he burst into the box.
That could have been a penalty and a second yellow card for the Congo defender - and would have made the last few minutes a different story.
CHRIS SAMBA and Ryan Nelsen showed Blackburn's strikers how it's done as they shocked Fulham.
Rovers had failed to win in their last nine Premier League matches with their toothless strikeforce to blame.
But the centre-back pairing of Samba and Nelson popped up to seal a much-needed victory at Ewood Park.
Samba netted from Benni McCarthy's corner while Nelsen headed home the South African's free-kick.
Sam Allardyce's side were denied a spot-kick in the 14th minute when Nikola Kalinic fell under pressure from Hangeland.
Clint Dempsey headed straight at Rovers keeper Paul Robinson before Samba gave the home team the lead.
The giant defender was in the right place to deflect home a McCarthy's corner which had been booted straight at him by Mark Schwarzer in the Fulham goal.
Fulham poured forward after the goal with Dempsey striking the bar with an overhead kick and Andy Johnson and Damien Duff both missing clear chances.
But after the break, they were even further behind as once again McCarthy was the provider.
He floated in a free-kick from the left and skipper Nelsen wriggled clear to loft a neat header over Schwarzer.
The visitors still threatened though and Robinson was forced to save from Zoltan Gera's drive.
Referee Kevin Friend was called into action late on when Samba pulled back Erik Nevland in the box.
But the Cottagers striker was denied a spot-kick and Samba spared the red card his challenge probably deserved.
Fulham continued to press until the final minute but Rovers showed their resiliance to hold on.
BLACKBURN: Robinson 5, Chimbonda 5, Samba 7, Nelsen 6, Givet 6 (Hoilett 5), Emerton 5 (Salgado 6), Nzonzi 5, Reid 6 (Andrews 6), Olsson 5, Kalinic 4, McCarthy 8.
Subs not used: Brown, Di Santo, Dunn, Rigters.
Booked: Samba.
FULHAM: Schwarzer 5, Kelly 6, Hughes 5, Hangeland 7, Konchesky 7 (Kallio 5), Duff 5, Baird 5, Murphy 7, Gera 6, Johnson 5, Dempsey 8 (Nevland 5).
Subs not used: Zuberbuhler, Riise, Smalling, Greening, Dikgacoi.
Booked: Baird, Nevland, Gera.
Source .