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Jimmy Bullard
celebrates after scoring |
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Blackburn
1 Fulham 1
Jimmy Bullard grabbed a late equaliser as Fulham stunned Blackburn to keep alive their fading hopes of avoiding relegation from the Barclays Premier League.
The struggling Cottagers looked to be heading towards yet another defeat when Morten Gamst Pedersen headed Blackburn in front just before the hour at Ewood Park.
But the Londoners, who had struggled to create chances throughout a game that only came to life late on, snatched a 1-1 draw three minutes from time as Bullard curled home a free-kick from the edge of the area.
The point may not be enough to save Fulham, but it at least gave manager Roy Hodgson something to cheer on his return to the club that sacked him a decade ago.
It also delivered a hefty blow to Rovers' UEFA Cup ambitions, already hit by Manchester United's elimination from the FA Cup - which reduced the number of places available in the league - earlier in the day.
Rain began to fall heavily as the players took to the field and it persisted throughout a miserable first half.
Both sides struggled to create meaningful chances, but Blackburn at least looked industrious and asked some questions of the Fulham defence.
Cottagers keeper Kasey Keller was not at his best and made a couple of nervous-looking clearances as well as spilling a cross.
But he was still not seriously tested as Rovers failed to find ways to break through the Fulham defence.
A clumsy challenge by Clint Dempsey allowed the hosts their first chance from a 30-yard free-kick, but Danny Murphy blocked Steven Reid's effort.
Pedersen found good space down the left, but his cross was wasteful and when Stephen Warnock broke into the box, his square ball evaded everyone.
Paul Konchesky threatened to create Fulham's first chance as he pushed into the area, but his pass was cut out and cleared.
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| Match Stats |
Blackburn |
Fulham |
| Goals |
1 |
1 |
| Possession |
66% |
34% |
| Goal attempts |
14 |
8 |
| On Target |
3 |
4 |
| Corners |
7 |
7 |
| Off-sides |
2 |
1 |
| Saves |
0 |
4 |
| Fouls |
19 |
16 |
| Yellows |
2 |
2 |
| Reds |
0 |
0 |
| source: Soccernet |
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Bullard also floated in a dangerous-looking cross for Johnson, but Warnock headed out for a corner.
David Bentley had an effort deflected for a corner and Roque Santa Cruz was denied by a good Konchesky tackle.
However, there had been little to excite the fans as the first half drifted towards its conclusion.
Zurab Khizanishvili had the first serious attempt on goal after 35 minutes when he headed a Bentley corner at Keller.
The American held on to that attempt comfortably, but he still felt unhappy enough with his performance to have extra practice during the half-time break.
Blackburn won a corner early in the second half but, with Reid heading over, it came to nothing.
Yet, the game was starting to show belated signs of coming to life and Fulham almost conceded a freak goal moments later.
Reid looked set to lose out to Konchesky as he chased Santa Cruz's knockdown, but the ball somehow deflected off the pair and looped onto the crossbar and behind.
Pedersen then tried his luck from distance but failed to hit the target.
Fulham launched a rare attack and almost snatched the lead as Johnson broke into the area and fired in a shot that clipped the outside of Brad Friedel's post.
However, having survived that scare, Rovers hit back and grabbed the opener themselves just before the hour.
The newly-introduced Jason Roberts created the chance, delivering a fine cross for the unmarked Pedersen to head past Keller at the far post.
Fulham could have levelled within minutes, but Murphy's shot was blocked and Dempsey could not make decent contact in the ensuing goalmouth scramble.
Roberts had the chance to make the game safe but scuffed a shot and Keller easily saved.
Pedersen went close to a second with a superb curling effort from a 30-yard free-kick.
Roberts broke through again seven minutes from time, but Keller rushed out and blocked with his feet from point-blank range.
The miss proved costly as Fulham grabbed a shock equaliser three minutes from time.
Christopher Samba was punished for a high foot in a challenge with Johnson on the edge of the area and Bullard stepped up to curl home the free-kick.
Blackburn manager Mark Hughes: "We had chances but were a little bit flat
in the first half, we had no real tempo.
"But the second half was more open. We got the goal and other chances.
"Maybe at times we should have been more professional, we were 1-0 up with 10-15
minutes to go and we should have been able to close the game out."
Fulham manager Roy Hodgson:
"I thought the players did extremely well because conceding the goal was a savage
blow.
"When you are at the bottom and have missed a few chances, the players could be
forgiven for dropping their heads.
"They kept on and did well to create enough chances to get the equaliser. The performance
was not unworthy of the three points today."
Blackburn: Friedel, Ooijer, Samba, Khizanishvili, Warnock, Bentley, Reid,
Kerimoglu (Roberts 57), Pedersen, Santa Cruz, McCarthy (Derbyshire 56).
Subs Not Used: Brown, Mokoena, Dunn.
Booked: Kerimoglu, Warnock.
Goals: Pedersen 59.
Fulham: Keller, Stalteri, Hughes, Hangeland, Konchesky, Dempsey (McBride 66),
Bullard, Andreasen, Murphy (Healy 84), Davies, Johnson.
Subs Not Used: Niemi, Volz, Bocanegra.
Booked: Stalteri (82,f), Healy(90,nr).
Goals: Bullard 89. (Free kick on the edge of the area curled right-footed into
top-left of goal from left channel.)
Att: 20,362
Ref: Mike Riley (Yorkshire).
BBC Sport Player Rater man of the match:
Fulham's Jimmy Bullard