Tuesday March 20, 2012 Day 29 Finished Ewood Park

Blackburn Rovers 2 - 0 Sunderland

  • Hoilett 58’
  • Aiyegbeni 86’

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  1. Blackburn ease relegation fears with win

    Blackburn ease relegation fears with win

    Steve Kean celebrated his 50th league match in charge of Blackburn by watching his side beat Sunderland 2-0 to ease their relegation fears. More

  • Live Commentary

    Time:90'
    • Blackburn Rovers
    • Sunderland
    • 90+3' There goes the final whistle! A deserved 2-0 win for the home side. Six points clear now of third bottom place.
    • 89' Hanley on hand to clear the cross from Larsson. All a bit too late for Sunderland. Three minutes to be added to the match.
    • 88' NZonzi rises to head out the corner. Towering header from him. Blackburn almost over the finishing line in this match.
    • 87' Pedersen back to halt the cross from McClean. Corner to Sunderland. Going to be wheeled over by Larsson.
    • 86' A 15th goal of the season for Yakubu. Superb move. Robinson remains without a save to make in this match.
    • 85' GOAL! Yakubu nods home the second for Blackburn. A 2-0 lead. Game over. Lovely cross from Lowe and there is the finish.
    • 84' Martin Olsson being tracked by Bardsley. A goalkick to the visiting side as Mignolet prepares to hammer it down the park.
    • 83' Martin O'Neill doesn't look too pleased with what he has witnessed out there. Hoilett fouls Colback in the visiting half.
    • 82' Offside flag goes up against Bendtner. Entering the crucial phase of the match as Larsson screws a shot wide of goal seconds later.
    • 81' Can Sunderland find an equaliser? Blackburn have lost 13 goals in the final 10 minutes of matches this season.
    • 80' Formica departs to be replaced by Bradley Orr for the home side.
    • 79' What a miss! Ji somehow stabs the ball over from three yards out. McClean drove the ball across the face of goal, but no finish. Astonishing miss.
    • 78' Jack Colback is wheeled on to take over from Bridge. Second change then for Sunderland.
    • 77' Excellent piece of goalkeeping by Robinson to gather up the cross from McClean. That ball was travelling at some pace across the goal.
    • 76' Pedersen aims for Dann with the long throw-in, but headed away. Sunderland collect at the halfway line seconds after Larsson failed to pick out McClean.
    • 75' Marcus Olsson wallops the ball up the park. Lowe then on the burst for Rovers, but Sunderland frantically scramble clear the danger.
    • 74' Pedersen cracks a free-kick inches wide. So close to the match-winning second for Rovers. We remain at 0-0.
    • 73' Kyrgiakos guilty of pulling Yakubu on the edge of the box. Free-kick chance for Blackburn.
    • 72' Bardsley with the long punt down the middle, but McClean is caught offside.
    • 71' Dong-Win Ji replaces Campbell for Sunderland.
    • 70' A stunning challenge by Martin Olsson to deny Bendtner a tap-in. A fabulous challenge from McClean's cross. What a piece of defending.
    • 69' Blackburn will be six points clear of third bottom QPR with a win here. A significant night for them in every sense as Bendtner's pass is cut out.
    • 68' Sunderland earn their seventh corner of the night. Poor delivery before Campbell is caught offside seconds later.
    • 67' Sunderland preparing to make a couple of changes here to try to rescue this match.
    • 66' Hoilett played the ball to Yakubu, who almost played in Marcus Olsson. Hoilett thrashes a shot over the bar seconds later.
    • 65' O'Neill scribbling down a few notes as the home side look to break again.
    • 64' Some of the crossing in this match has been pretty poor as Dann hoists clear the cross by McClean. Blackburn will take this result.
    • 63' Larsson with the delivery. Poor stuff as Blackburn look to break, but Yakubu's pass goes nowhere.
    • 62' A bit more scrappy play. Back to the sort of play that summed up the first half, but McClean earns his side a corner.
    • 61' Another long throw-in from Pedersen! Dann guilty of pushing the back of Kyrgiakos. Free-kick for the visiting side deep in their box.
    • 60' Blackburn lead 1-0. No more than they deserve. Have been the better side for most of this contest. Suddenly the home fans enjoying their night out.
    • 59' GOAL! Hoilett scores for Blackburn! Superb finish on the volley. Ball broke to him inside the area as Mignolet failed to punch clear the danger. What a finish by the young forward.
    • 58' Hanley with another superb tackle on McClean before Bardsley wins the ball from Hoilett.
    • 57' Bendtner guilty of pushing Pedersen. Five of these sides's previous meetings in the Premier League have finished goalless.
    • 56' Campbell and McClean try to unlock the home defence, but more frustration as Kyrgiakos wins the ball from Hoilett.
    • 55' A spot of pushing from the corner by Hanley on Bardsley. Blackburn now up to 10 attempts at goal. Sunderland yet to work Robinson.
    • 54' Stunning stop by Mignolet to tip the volley by Formica wide of the target. What an effort, but an equally brilliant save.
    • 53' McClean and Vaughan with a couple of disappointing balls into the area. Easy clearance for Rovers.
    • 52' Hoilett with a late challenge on Bardsley. He is on the deck and in need of some treatment. Looked a sore one.
    • 51' Larsson with the free-kick, but poor delivery as the home side clear the danger. Rovers looks to break.
    • 50' Dann clips McClean with a late challenge. Free-kick chance for the visitors out wide.
    • 49' Decent covering play by Hanley there. He is having a solid game at the back. Blackburn again collect the ball. Good possession stuff.
    • 48' Gardner nips in ahead of Yakubu to hoist the ball up the park. Vaughan caught offside seconds later.
    • 47' Steve Kean's 50th league match in charge of Rovers. But Blackburn haven’t won back to back league games since November 2010.
    • 46' Blackburn get the second period off and running. All to play for at 0-0.
    • 45+1' There goes the whistle for the break. 0-0 is probably about right. Join us for the second period after the interval.
    • 44' One minute to be added to the half.
    • 43' Not sure either keeper has had a save to make in this match. One goal may yet win this one.
    • 42' O'Neill looks on with his arms folded from the side of the park. Looks like we're going to head for the break all square at 0-0 as Gardner handles in the Rovers half.
    • 41' Sunderland with plenty of bodies back. Six men in the area when that cross come over.
    • 40' Martin Olsson takes up a good position out wide, but he blazes the cross well wide of the goal. Poor delivery from him.
    • 39' Blackburn have conceded more headed goals than any other team in the Premier League (12).
    • 38' Larsson with the corner. Kyrgiakos couldn't connect with it as Blackburn survive that attack. Goalkick to the home team.
    • 37' Bridge knocks the ball off Lowe for a corner to the visiting side.
    • 36' Yakubu can't get the ball under control before McClean breaks for Sunderland seconds later. Sunderland in possession before Pedersen clears the danger.
    • 35' Pedersen deemed to be guilty of bringing down Bendtner. Game really punctured by some sloppy passing movements.
    • 34' Larsson with the corner seconds later, but Robinson is out quickly to snatch the delivery agin. Game starting to open up a bit here.
    • 33' Campbell accepts a lovely ball from McClean, but Hanley makes a superb tackle to deny the visiting forward. Had to get that challenge spot on.
    • 32' This match is wide open between two very even teams. Rovers marginally better with Sunderland not creating too many chances of their own.
    • 31' Larsson tries an intricate pass through the middle, but nobody reads the pass as Robinson collects safely.
    • 30' Pedersen tosses over the throw-in. Ball goes out seconds later for a goalkick to Sunderland.
    • 29' Blackburn play the ball out neatly from the back. Kyrgiakos forced to smash the clearance away from the dangerous Yakubu.
    • 28' Formica pulls the trigger from the edge of the box, but drags the volley wide of goal for a goalkick to the visiting team.
    • 27' Hoilett has a couple of bites, but Sunderland defence stand tall to repel the danger. Vaughan in need of a spot of treatment after taking a ball off the face.
    • 26' Free-kick for Blackburn as Campbell chops down Martin Olsson. Free-kick chance here then. 25 yards out.
    • 25' Seems to be a spot of blood pouring from the eye of Kyrgiakos after he clashed with Yakubu in the air. Needs some treatment.
    • 24' Larsson brings down Marcus Olsson out wide. Blackburn enjoying the better moments without any sustained period of pressure.
    • 23' Campbell with a slack pass as he knocks the ball straight out of play. Sloppy play by the Sunderland forward.
    • 22' Pedersen dinks a free-kick into the visiting box, but straight off the turf and through for a goalkick to the Black Cats.
    • 21' Lowe deemed to be guilty of fouling Campbell. Blackburn with five fouls compared to two by Sunderland.
    • 20' Kyrgiakos comes out to win the ball from Martin Olsson. Bardsley forced to concede the corner from Pedersen's long throw-in. Rovers building up the pressure.
    • 19' Kyrgiakos empties the ball out of play for Sunderland. Blackburn attempting to take up residence in the visiting half.
    • 18' Yakubu this times nudges Kyrgiakos. Both teams battling for supremacy in the middle of the park.
    • 17' Pedersen whips over a terrific free-kick, but Hanley can only head over the bar. Was a decent chance for Blackburn to work Mignolet.
    • 16' Kyrgiakos deemed to be guilty of pushing Yakubu. Free-kick for Rovers.
    • 15' Superb ball by McClean across the face of goal. No takers though before Larsson's corner hits off the foot off Gardner and lands in the arms of Robinson.
    • 14' Not exactly a full house inside Ewood for this one. Sunderland will reach 40 points with a win, a number that usually guarantees survival.
    • 13' Sunderland have kept one clean sheet in their last nine Premier League away games. Odds on this finishing 0-0? Both teams are surely due one.
    • 12' Yakubu using his body strength superbly well. Making some neat passing movements with Hoilett. Blackburn pick up the loose ball seconds later before the ball flies out of play in the visiting half.
    • 11' The Olssons again linking well. Move ends with Martin Olsson crashing a shot at the visiting goal. Mignolet stands tall to make the block. Solid save. Difficult to score from that angle.
    • 10' Pedersen rolls the ball to Dann before Bridge cuts out a pass. Pedersen penalised for a foul on Vaughan. Teams continue to get the ball on the deck.
    • 9' Larsson swings over a decent corner for the visitors, but Robinson is out quickly to clasp the loose ball. Confident piece of goalkeeping.
    • 8' Fine run by McClean down a flank. Throws over a fine cross, but Hanley is there to head out of the danger zone with Bendtner lurking.
    • 7' Olsson twins looking to combine down the home side's left flank. Rovers with a young team out tonight, and they look very energetic.
    • 6' Blackburn have not kept any clean sheets in their last 15 Premier League games at Ewood Park. At least we should be in for a few goals tonight.
    • 5' So unlucky for Yakubu with that chipped attempt. He is seeking his 14th goal of the season in the league tonight. Blackburn chasing back-to-back wins in the league for the first time this term.
    • 4' Pedersen with the corner as Blackburn pile on the pressure. A bit of pushing in the area. Respite for the Black Cats.
    • 3' Gardner and Bendtner try to combine for Sunderland before Blackburn break to the other end. Off the line by Bardsley! Lovely ball by Hoilett to Yakubu, who chipped the ball over Mignolet. Bright start by Rovers.
    • 2' A debut tonight for Kyrgiakos at the heart of the visiting defence as Bardsley nods the ball back to Mignolet in the Sunderland goal.
    • 1' Blackburn can go six points clear of the relegation zone with a win. Sunderland get us off and running at Ewood Park.
    • 19.55 Teams out on the pitch, and we are almost ready to go.
    • 19.50 Odds for tonight's match: Blackburn 11/8, Sunderland 2/1, Draw 23/10.
    • 19.45 Sunderland have drawn 99 games in the Premier League era. The Black Cats have won four and lost none of the last seven meetings with Rovers in the Premier League.
    • 19.40 Martin O'Neill: "It's a completely different outlook from my first game (also against Blackburn). I was genuinely fearful for our position back then. I'd been at Wolves and watched the game (when Sunderland lost 2-1), and watched us take the lead, but I knew from the minute we missed the penalty that we might lose the game. You just felt it. And of course they lost that match, and Wolves went on to 14 points and we were stuck on 11. (Wolves) have not moved on greatly since then."
    • 19.35 Steve Kean: "We found ourselves on the end of a result in Martin (O’Neill)’s first game in charge so we feel as if we owe them one and if we continue to play the way we are playing there is no reason why we can't. We let ourselves down a little bit in terms of defending too deep and in the last couple of minutes we were hanging on for a point until Seb Larsson bent in a free-kick. We are playing well at the moment so we will get after them. Martin has done fantastic since he went there."
    • 19.30 Sunderland full-back Phil Bardsley is fit. The former Manchester United defender has shaken off a rib injury to retain his place in the team, although left-back Kieran Richardson has been ruled out with the calf problem which kept him out of Saturday's FA Cup quarter-final draw at Everton. Striker Stephane Sessegnon completes his three-match ban and will be available for Saturday's league clash with QPR. Defenders Wes Brown (knee) and Titus Bramble (Achilles/calf) remain on the sidelines.
    • 19.25 Blackburn manager Steve Kean has virtually a fully-fit squad. Defender Bradley Orr missed the win at Wolves last time out with a hamstring problem but has returned to training and played in a practice match last week. He is on the bench this evening. Midfielder David Dunn has recovered from an Achilles injury and is on the bench. Only Vince Grella is unavailable.
    • 19.20 Teams: Blackburn: Robinson, Lowe, Dann, Hanley, Martin Olsson, Nzonzi, Pedersen, Formica, Hoilett, Marcus Olsson, Yakubu..subs: Bunn, Givet, Dunn, Modeste, Petrovic, Orr, Goodwillie////Sunderland: Mignolet, Bardsley, Kyrgiakos, Turner, Bridge, Larsson, Gardner, Vaughan, McClean, Bendtner, Campbell..subs: Gordon, Wickham, Kilgallon, Colback, Ji, Meyler, Elmohamady////Referee: Martin Atkinson (W Yorkshire)
    • 19.15 Good evening and welcome to LIVE coverage of Blackburn against Sunderland from Ewood Park.

  • Summary

    • 85' GOAL! Yakubu nods home the second for Blackburn. A 2-0 lead. Game over. Lovely cross from Lowe and there is the finish.
    • 79' What a miss! Ji somehow stabs the ball over from three yards out. McClean drove the ball across the face of goal, but no finish. Astonishing miss.
    • 77' Excellent piece of goalkeeping by Robinson to gather up the cross from McClean. That ball was travelling at some pace across the goal.
    • 74' Pedersen cracks a free-kick inches wide. So close to the match-winning second for Rovers. We remain at 0-0.
    • 70' A stunning challenge by Martin Olsson to deny Bendtner a tap-in. A fabulous challenge from McClean's cross. What a piece of defending.
    • 59' GOAL! Hoilett scores for Blackburn! Superb finish on the volley. Ball broke to him inside the area as Mignolet failed to punch clear the danger. What a finish by the young forward.
    • 54' Stunning stop by Mignolet to tip the volley by Formica wide of the target. What an effort, but an equally brilliant save.
    • 33' Campbell accepts a lovely ball from McClean, but Hanley makes a superb tackle to deny the visiting forward. Had to get that challenge spot on.
    • 11' The Olssons again linking well. Move ends with Martin Olsson crashing a shot at the visiting goal. Mignolet stands tall to make the block. Solid save. Difficult to score from that angle.
    • 3' Gardner and Bendtner try to combine for Sunderland before Blackburn break to the other end. Off the line by Bardsley! Lovely ball by Hoilett to Yakubu, who chipped the ball over Mignolet. Bright start by Rovers.
    • 19.20 Teams: Blackburn: Robinson, Lowe, Dann, Hanley, Martin Olsson, Nzonzi, Pedersen, Formica, Hoilett, Marcus Olsson, Yakubu..subs: Bunn, Givet, Dunn, Modeste, Petrovic, Orr, Goodwillie////Sunderland: Mignolet, Bardsley, Kyrgiakos, Turner, Bridge, Larsson, Gardner, Vaughan, McClean, Bendtner, Campbell..subs: Gordon, Wickham, Kilgallon, Colback, Ji, Meyler, Elmohamady////Referee: Martin Atkinson (W Yorkshire)

Team Line-up & Ratings

  • Line-up

    Live Team Line-Up

  • Rate Players

    Rate Players

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    • Player Y! Users Expert My Rating
      Goalkeeper
      7 7
      Defenders
      7.1 7
      7.1 7
      7.3 8
      7.6 8
      Midfielders
      6.9 7
      7.1 7
      Substitution Out79′ 7.3 7
      7.2 7
      Strikers
      Goal 8 8
      Goal 7.4 7
      Subs
      Substitution In79′ 7.7 6
    • Player Y! Users Expert My Rating
      Goalkeeper
      4.6 7
      Defenders
      5.1 7
      4.5 6
      4.3 6
      Substitution Out77′ 5.4 6
      Midfielders
      4.3 5
      4.7 5
      5.4 5
      6.2 7
      Strikers
      3.7 6
      Yellow Card Substitution Out72′ 4.7 4
      Subs
      Substitution In77′ 3.8 6
      Substitution In72′ 1.9 4

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