Premiership: Blackburn put seven past West Ham

Blackburn 7, West Ham 1(full-time)

Blackburn stunned West Ham at Ewood Park by putting seven goals past them.

Garry Flitcroft began the goal spree on 18 minutes before David Dunn and Damien Johnson weighed in first half efforts.

West Ham managed to pull a goal back six minutes before the interval through Michael Carrick.

On 26 minutes Dunn made it 2-0 with a peach of a goal, which no doubt will have impressed watching England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson.

Henning Berg found the England Under-21 international in acres of space 25 yards out from goal and he curled home a delightful shot into Shaka Hislop’s left-hand corner, giving the Hammers goalkeeper no chance.

Blackburn were not finished yet and a minute later they scored a third from a lovely flowing move.

It was started and finished by Johnson, who deserved a goal for the way he had tortured West Ham’s defence.

The Northern Ireland international fed Tugay on the right and the Turk crossed to Grabbi at the back post, who headed the ball back for Johnson to apply the finishing touch from just a yard out.

The Rovers fans were loving every minute and they taunted West Ham by comparing them to that other team from nearby who play in claret and blue and they chanted: ‘‘Are you Burnley in disguise?’’

Still Blackburn piled forward and Dunn scorched a 30-yard drive just over Hislop’s bar.

Di Canio spurned a great chance to reduce the arrears when he failed to connect with Sebastien Schemmel’s teasing cross.

Michael Carrick did pull a goal back on 39 minutes with a right-foot shot from just outside the areas.

Roeder took drastic action at half-time and he took off John Moncur and ex-Blackburn defender Christian Dailly and brought on Grant McCann, who made his senior Northern Ireland debut against Malta last week, and Hayden Foxe.

The changes helped invigorate West Ham and Sinclair should have pulled a second goal back within three minutes.

Di Canio clipped a free-kick into the area and the unmarked Sinclair managed to head the ball into the ground and over the bar from just five yards out.

The visitors, with just one point on their travels this season, missed another opportunity when Frederic Kanoute headed straight at Brad Friedel from di Canio’s corner.

Kanoute was then booked for a late tackle on Bjornebye and di Canio and Grabbi for pushing as the match threatened to degenerate into a squabble.

Tomas Repka, who had just returned from suspension after being sent off on his debut against Middlesbrough, was dismissed again on the hour mark for picking up two yellow cards following a foul on Grabbi.

That made West Ham’s task even more onerous and on 62 minutes their resistance was ended when McCann sliced Tugay’s shot into his own goal to make it 4-1.

After being denied a goal by McCann, Tugay made no mistake 10 minutes from time when he curled home a terrific right-foot shot from 20 yards out for Rovers’ fifth.

Still Rovers kept going and a minute later Jansen made it 6-1 when Hislop could only parry Dunn’s shot allowing him to score from the rebound.

Rovers were not yet finished however. Craig Hignett got on the score sheet with a minute of normal time remaining to make it seven for Rovers.