Two goals of outstanding quality suggested Blackburn will not be drawn into another Barclays Premiership relegation battle this season as they claimed victory over the Cottagers.
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| Brian McBride goal not enough |
Rovers' opening goal from Morten Gamst Pedersen was incisively crafted and exquisitely finished during a first half dominated by manager Mark Hughes' side.
Brian McBride offered a feeble-looking Fulham hope early in the second half, before the unlikely figure of Tugay ended his 17-month wait for a top-flight goal with a sumptuous volley to deservedly get Blackburn off the mark this term.
It was perhaps more than Hughes had expected as he went into the game shorn of the services of strikers Craig Bellamy and Paul Dickov, sidelined with a thigh injury and starting a three-match ban respectively.
When Fulham signalled their intent inside the second minute, with captain Luis Boa Morte showing just why he is the subject of intense speculation regarding a move to Newcastle, Hughes may have been forgiven for fearing the worst.
From 25 yards out Boa Morte let fly with a low, swerving shot that appeared to catch Brad Friedel in two minds, resulting in the American merely batting the ball back into the heart of the area where he was fortunate to see Ryan Nelsen clear the danger.
The New Zealand centre-back, who missed Rovers' dismal 3-1 defeat at West Ham with a thigh injury, underlined why he was sorely missed at Upton Park as he again forged his fine partnership at the heart of the defence with captain Andy Todd.
From that early scare, Blackburn dictated matters, with the only surprise the fact they did not have more than one goal to show for their superiority in the opening 45 minutes.
After Brett Emerton had scuffed a 15-yard shot and Pedersen had fired narrowly wide soon after, the Norwegian winger then gave Blackburn the lead with a gem of a strike.
Pedersen was one of the success stories of a troubled season for Blackburn last term, scoring eight goals as Hughes' side ultimately staved off relegation.
A few of those were stunners, and this was no exception as he met Shefki Kuqi's pin-point far-post cross with a thunderous left foot-volley in off the underside of the bar. The goal sealed a sweeping move that was made in Australia as Emerton and man-of-the-match Lucas Neill initially played an incisive one-two down the left wing to prise open Fulham.
The Cottagers were fortunate not to be two adrift soon after when Zat Knight nudged Dominic Matteo's low ball into the area on to Kuqi, only for the striker to fire his 12-yard shot wide.
Again, manager Chris Coleman breathed a sigh of relief a minute later when Robbie Savage drilled a shot through the six-yard box where an unconvincing Warner failed to claim, but with Niclas Jensen on hand to sidefoot clear as Kuqi was ready to pounce on the error.
| Match Stats |
Blackburn |
Fulham |
| Goals |
2 |
1 |
| Possession |
51% |
49% |
| Goal attempts |
16 |
8 |
| On Target |
9 |
4 |
| Corners |
8 |
1 |
| Off-sides |
3 |
2 |
| Penalty |
0 |
0 |
| Fouls |
26 |
14 |
| Yellows |
2 |
2 |
| Reds |
0 |
0 |
| source: skysport/Opta sports data |
At that stage Fulham were struggling to get out of their own half, with Friedel among the spectators, although he showed superb reactions just after the half hour to preserve Rovers' lead going into the break.
From a Niclas Jensen free-kick planted on to the head of Papa Bouba Diop, who was back in the side after missing the Blues clash with a thigh injury, the tall midfielder's powerful header was acrobatically beaten away by the Rovers goalkeeper.
That should have served as a wake-up call for Rovers because just over three minutes after the restart, all their hard work of the first half was undone in a matter of seconds as Fulham capitalised on a moment of defensive lethargy.
A quick free-kick from Steed Malbranque was played out wide to an all-alone Niclas Jensen on the left, with his cross sidefooted home by McBride from seven yards after he had stolen in front of Todd.
Now alive to the fact the points were not going to be handed to them on a plate, Rovers again started to turn the screw and they ultimately regained the lead in the 71st minute.
From a Pedersen corner, after Warner had turned aside an angled Emerton drive, the delivery found Tugay - who turns 35 on Wednesday - standing on the edge of the area.
The Turkish midfielder met the ball with a metronomic swing of his right boot to flash a searing volley past Warner for only his eighth goal in Rovers colours in four years.
There was almost room for a third sensational strike as Neill won a tussle just outside the Fulham area before firing in a left-foot drive that had Warner beaten, only to see the ball smack off the crossbar.
Blackburn Friedel, Neill, Todd, Nelsen, Matteo, Tugay, Emerton (Flitcroft 90), Savage, Reid, Pedersen, Kuqi.
Subs Not Used: Enckelman, Gresko, Gallagher, Johnson.
Booked: Reid, Savage.
Goals: Pedersen 15, Tugay 71.
Fulham Warner, Volz, Knight, Rehman, Niclas Jensen, Malbranque, Diop, Claus Jensen, Boa Morte, McBride (Helguson 81), Radzinski (John 81).
Subs Not Used: Batista, Elrich, Leacock.
Booked: Diop(f,67), John(f,89).
Goals: McBride 49(Penalty area, shot, right foot).
Att: 16,953
Ref: H Webb (S Yorkshire).