Fulham hold off Rovers for win

Fulham 2 Blackburn 1

Fulham ensured the Craven Cottage faithful would head into Christmas full of festive cheer as goals from Papa Bouba Diop and captain Luis Boa Morte saw off the challenge of Blackburn at Craven Cottage.

Chris Coleman’s side never looked in any real danger of slumping to a second straight defeat in the Barclays Premiership after Diop had put them ahead on the stroke of half-time.

And when Boa Morte added another at the start of the second period there was no way back for Rovers, who failed to make the most of the chances which they created when the game had been deadlocked and only had the consolation of a late own-goal from Zat Knight to show for their efforts.

Indeed, the visitors started brightly, with David Bentley’s testing cross into the six-yard box from the right headed over his own crossbar by centre-back Knight.

But after a promising opening the tempo then dropped somewhat with neither side able to gain control of midfield.

Fulham slowly started to find their range of passing, yet without being able to unlock the stubborn Blackburn defence, which had conceded seven goals in their last three league matches.

Then, after 22 minutes, it needed a fine save from Rovers keeper Brad Friedel to keep the score level, tipping the ball over from Collins John’s looping 18-yard header.

The match was then halted on the half-hour to allow John to receive treatment following an awkward fall and the striker was replaced by Heidar Helguson.

Fulham were still finding it difficult to create any clear openings and Rovers, a threat on the break, should have been ahead after 39 minutes.

When Australia winger Brett Emerton’s cross from the right was deflected by Knight it fell to Morten Gamst Pedersen who released Bentley into the left of the area.

His delayed cross picked out Emerton at the far post but somehow he headed wide from less than six yards.

And it proved a costly miss as Fulham took the lead on the stroke of half-time when Diop got himself in front of Andy Todd to side-foot home Boa Morte’s floated free-kick.

Fulham were forced into another substitution early in the second half when Diop limped off after 49 minutes, to be replaced by Sylvain Legwinski and the change seemed to unsettle the hosts for a period as Rovers gained more possession.

However, normal service was resumed when the hosts went 2-0 up after 52 minutes when Helguson and Brian McBride exchanged passes before the Icelander cut the ball back to Boa Morte, who took a touch before planting the ball in the right-hand corner.

There was a warning for Fulham not to get too complacent as, after 58 minutes, Pedersen flashed a free-kick against the underside of the crossbar with Mark Crossley beaten.

Rovers manager Mark Hughes was then out of his dugout and running towards the assistant after a late flag halted Dickov when he appeared to have timed his run through the defence well.

The tenacious Scot then went into the referee’s notebook after 62 minutes for a late challenge on Tomasz Radzinski in the centre circle, with Knight then cautioned for up-ending the Rovers striker.

Radzinski was yellow-carded after 70 minutes when he kicked the ball away after being penalised for what had looked a legitimate shoulder challenge on Tugay.

To their credit, Rovers continued to work hard to the final whistle and were rewarded when Knight headed a cross from Dickov past his own keeper to reduce the deficit.

With four minutes of stoppage time added there were a few anxious moments for the home fans, Dickov curling an angled effort just wide and Crossley then saving from the Rovers striker.