Debutant Brown saves Blackburn’s day

BLACKBURN boss Mark Hughes praised substitute goalkeeper Jason Brown’s debut heroics after Rovers edged past Wigan at Ewood Park.

Brown staged a superb double save from Svetoslav Todorov’s 77th-minute penalty after replacing groin injury victim Brad Friedel at half-time.

Benni McCarthy stole up the other end six minutes later to seal the win for Rovers after David Bentley had earlier cancelled out Emile Heskey’s second-minute strike. Hughes said: “Jason came in and did exceptionally well. It was a great debut. It is important when you get the opportunity you try to take it and Jason did exceptionally well in that respect.

Hughes signed the 24-year-old Brown on a free transfer from Gillingham in the summer, having first become aware of the Welsh ‘keeper during his reign as international boss.

Hughes added: “I always knew Jason had a potential and it was a big decision when he came here because he could have gone as a first-choice keeper at a lower level.

“But Jason has got great confidence in his own ability and he feels he can make it at the very top level — and you would not argue with that on today’s performance.”

Hughes also singled out South African striker McCarthy, who prodded home his fifth goal in eight games, after a mistake by Chris Kirkland, despite some suggestions of offside.

“Benni is a natural goal-scorer who will make chances for himself and for others. He has made a great start to his Blackburn career and I have no doubt there is more to come,” he said.

Wigan boss Paul Jewell was in reflective mood despite clearly believing McCarthy’s goal should not have stood after Jason Roberts poked the ball on after beating the last defender.

“I think it is more than a little bit (offside), but it still counts so there is no point me coming in for this interview ranting and raving,” he said.

“We knew Blackburn had had a match on Thursday and the plan was to catch them cold and it worked well, but the timing of the equaliser was really a kick in the teeth for us.

OPTA FACT: Emile Heskey has bagged six goals in Premiership history against Blackburn — no team has been on the receiving end more often.

Blackburn have Wigan only seven times and have won six and drawn the other.

BLACKBURN: Friedel (Brown 45), Emerton, Ooijer, Khizanishvili, Neill, Bentley, Savage, Kerimoglu (Mokoena 70), Pedersen, McCarthy, Jeffers (Roberts 70).

WIGAN: Kirkland, Boyce, Jackson, De Zeeuw, Baines, Landzaat, Scharner, Valencia (Teale 67), Kilbane (McCulloch 74), Heskey, Camara (Todorov 64).

Referee: H Webb (S Yorkshire).