West Ham sneak a point in draw with Blackburn

Blackburn 2 West Ham 2

West Ham survived a goalkeeping mistake of monumental proportions by David James to earn a point against Blackburn.

Substitute Jermain Defoe headed an equaliser in the dying minutes to ease out the memory of James letting a tame shot by Damien Duff trickle through his legs.

It will go down as one of the great goalkeeping blunders – worse than those by Aston Villa’s Peter Enckelman and Liverpool’s Jerzy Dudek this season, and a match for the one that ended Massimo Taibi’s career at Manchester United.

It would have been no surprise if West Ham had then collapsed and suffered something near the 7-1 mauling they received at Ewood Park last season.

That they refused to indicates there is much fight left in the Londoners, though whether that alone is enough to save them from relegation is doubtful - the lack of depth of Roeder’s squad remains a serious concern.

As it was, a Martin Taylor own goal – deflecting Steve Lomas’ cross-shot over Brad Friedel – saw the Hammers regain parity and then dominate the second half only to be undone by Andy Cole’s 150th Premiership goal.

That could have been that but Blackburn failed to deal with Defoe’s predatory instincts as the substitute struck late on.

That Defoe had started on the bench was a surprise – Roeder’s line-up was so defensive-looking that makeshift striker Ian Pearce was up front on his own.

Roeder must have had his head in his hands as his side got off to the worst possible start in the fourth minute. Duff had tried his luck shot from 20 yards but the shot was not powerfully hit and was straight at James. Somehow, though, the West Ham keeper let the ball trickle through his legs and over the line.

The Irish winger nearly made the visitors pay again when he fired in a cross from the left and Cole was only a foot away from making decisive contact.

James then did show his England class with an instinctive reaction to tip over Cole’s close-range header from a penetrating David Thompson free-kick.

It took 24 minutes for the Hammers to launch an attack of note but it was enough to secure an equaliser courtesy of another freakish goal. Lomas lashed a shot from 25 yards out on the right of goal, it seemed to be going wide but spun high off Taylor’s boot and over Friedel.

James produced another top-drawer save, this time diving full-length to turn aside Cole’s fiercely-struck low drive.

West Ham continued to struggle to create any meaningful chances and when they did win a free-kick in a promising position 25 yards from goal Michael Carrick could only put it into row Z.

Graeme Souness replaced a defender with an attacker at half-time with Yorke coming on for right-back John Curtis and switching his formation to 3-5-2, but Blackburn never looked comfortable.

West Ham really should have capitalised when Lomas’ astute pass found Pearce unmarked 12 yards out. Instead, he missed the target. Defoe would have lapped up the chance.

The visitors produced several counter-attacking moves within the space of a few minutes, the best of them ending with Edouard Cisse lifting a 25-yard curler only a yard over the bar.

Trevor Sinclair was next to threaten, shooting on the run only to see Friedel perfectly placed to foil him. Blackburn were lucky to survive again when Pearce drilled the ball inches wide from the edge of the penalty area.

Yorke nearly bent in a shot from 18 yards then with 12 minutes left Cole - with Blackburn’s first shot on target of the half – put Rovers in front again.

Tugay’s through ball was excellent as Gary Breen failed to track Cole, his first touch was not the best but it took him past James and he finished from a tight angle.

The other Cole – Joe – nearly replied immediately but he was high and wide but Defoe did claim a second equaliser with four minutes left.

Pearce won the ball in the air and Defoe nipped in to tuck a header past Friedel.