- English Barclays Premier League
- 21 April 2012, 3:00pm
- Ewood Park
- Attendance: 23,218
Blackburn | v | Norwich |
2
| 0 |
live commentary
94 mins:FULL TIME: BLACKBURN 2-0 NORWICH
93 mins:Anthony Pilkington tries to conjure up something for Norwich but there is a lack of options in the box and his cross is easily cleared.
91 mins:There is four minutes of injury time to be played at Ewood Park.
90 mins:End to end at Ewood Park but neither team can really conjure any chances. The game has not sprung into life since the second goal, it's been over for some time.
86 mins:The game is peetering out and it's looking like a comfortable 2-0 win for Blackburn. Vital points in the bag for Rovers in their relegation dogfight.
84 mins:Steve Kean has taken off his top two forwards and shut up shop at Ewood Park.
83 mins:Hoilett is taken off for Radosav Petrovic and the winger is given a huge reception by the Blackburn faithful for his stunning strike.
82 mins:Rovers are doing a good job of keeping the ball and seeing the game off.
80 mins:A half-chance for Blackburn as a Morten Gamst Pedersen is nodded over by Scott Dann. It was a difficult header for the defender.
78 mins:It's looking brighter for Norwich but you would imagine if they want to get anything out of this game they need a goal sooner rather than later. Still pretty comfortable for Rovers.
75 mins:Change for Blackburn with Yakubu Aiyegbeni taken off for Anthony Modeste.
73 mins:From the resulting corner Ryan Bennett is inches away from connecting from a flick on and the defender was inside the six yard box. A close shave for Blackburn. This is better for Norwich.
72 mins:Aaron Wilbraham gets on the end of a knock-down and his smart half-volley is stopped by Paul Robinson.
71 mins:A Norwich free-kick lands at the feet of Anthony Pilkington, he does well to create space in the box but his low cross goes just behind his strike partner. That's about as good as it has got for Norwich in the second half.
70 mins:Steve Kean should be happy with what he is seeing as his Blackburn have controlled the game since getting the second goal.
68 mins:Martin Olsson almost put clean through as gaps are appearing to appear in the Norwich defence.
66 mins:A final change for Norwich and Grant Holt is removed for Aaron Wilbraham.
63 mins:Blackburn look full of confidence with a two-goal lead and the more likely of the two teams to score next.
61 mins:David Dunn taken off for Martin Olsson by Steve Kean.
59 mins:Blackburn are on top early in the second half and Norwich seem to have been knocked by that second goal.
58 mins:Paul Lambert makes a double substitution. James Vaughan off for Steve Morison and Wes Hoolahan taken off for Anthony Pilkington
53 mins:Hoilett gets free and causes havoc again but his ball in just evades Yakubu in the box.
50 mins:It was a wonderful curling shot with power from Hoilett and Norwich now have a fight on their hands to get anything from Ewood Park.
49 mins:GOAL. Blackburn 2 Norwich 0. A wonder goal from Junior Hoilett. He cuts in from the left by-line and unleashes a powerful shot into the far corner.
47 mins:David Dunn gives away an early free-kick and Andrew Surman whips a great ball in that Gaël Givet clears. Norwich have come out strong at start of the second half.
45 mins:Norwich City get the second half underway at Ewood Park.
47 mins:HALF-TIME: BLACKBURN 1-0 NORWICH
46 mins:Elliott Bennett fires wide as the half-time whistle is blown.
44 mins:Norwich respond well and could count themselves unlucky to be behind. A deep cross just eludes Grant Holt.
41 mins:It was a smart finish by Formica to beat Ruddy with the volley.
40 mins:GOAL. Blackburn 1 Norwich 0. Yakubu gets clear and gives it to Pedersen, his cross lands at Mauro Formica and his shot goes through the keeper's legs.
38 mins:Blackburn hit the post, a David Hoilett cross is headed back across the Norwich goal by Morten Gamst Pedersen and an overhead kick by Yakubu Aiyegbeni hits the base of the post.
36 mins:Elliott Bennett puts in a dangerous cross and Grant Holt gets on the end of it, but his header goes wide as he was put under pressure by Bradley Orr
34 mins: Jonathan Howson cautioned for preventing a Rovers break.
32 mins:The corner comes in and Ryan Bennett heads just wide. It was a good opportunity for the defender.
30 mins:Jonathan Howson given time and space to move forward and he fires a long-range shot that Paul Robinson does very well to push over for a corner.
27 mins:David Dunn the first man to be booked, for a late challenge on Elliott Bennett
25 mins:Norwich have been the better team in the opening 25 minutes but David Hoilett looks capable of causing Adam Drury real problems whenever Rovers attack.
23 mins:Blackburn are getting a bit more confident as the game starts opening up.
21 mins:A David Hoilett cross is pushed by John Ruddy onto the body of Elliott Ward and the Norwich defender needs to act quickly to stop the ball going into his own net.
19 mins:A Morten Gamst Pedersen ball into the box comes off a Norwich head and just goes wide of the far post. John Ruddy does well to grab the resulting corner.
17 mins:Seconds later and another clumsy aerial challenge from James Vaughan sees him getting a talking too from the referee. Lucky not to get booked after two incidents in close succession.
15 mins:James Vaughan jumped into David Dunn was his elbows a little high resulting in a big punt from Paul Robinson into the Norwich box that comes to nothing.
12 mins:Blackburn are appealing for a penalty against Russell Martin as the ball comes into the box but it is not given. Some controversy as it did look like it struck the Norwich man's hand.
10 mins:It was a great chance for James Vaughan and he completely mis-kicked when he should have done a lot better.
9 mins:Grant Holt hits a right foot shot from just inside the area but it is a comfortable save from Paul Robinson. Norwich are looking dangerous and James Vaughan then gets another good chance.
7 mins:The game very open in the early stages but Norwich look hungry and are not giving Blackburn any time on the ball.
5 mins:Home side finally managing to get some possession and swing some dangerous crosses into the Norwich box. The Canaries defend it well.
3 mins:Blackburn cannot get hold of the ball and Norwich are on top. A throw into the area causes havoc and Grant Holt gets another chance before Elliott Bennett fires wide.
1 mins:A bright opening for the visitors and an early corner and it is Grant Holt who heads over - a real early warning for Rovers.
It is Blackburn who get the game underway.
3 mins:Paul Lambert's side have been a real surprise package of the season but have assured their Premier League future and will be out to bounce back after last weekend's drubbing to Manchester City.
2 mins:Norwich: Ruddy, Martin, Ryan Bennett, Ward, Drury, Elliott Bennett, Howson, Surman, Hoolahan, Vaughan, Holt Subs: Steer, Johnson, Morison, Pilkington, Fox, Wilbraham, Naughton
1 mins:Blackburn: Robinson, Orr, Dann, Givet, Marcus Olsson, Formica, Dunn, Lowe, Pedersen, Hoilett, Yakubu Subs: Kean, Martin Olsson, Modeste, Petrovic, Nzonzi, Rochina, Goodwillie
Welcome to text commentary on Blackburn Rovers against Norwich City. It's a huge day for the home side as three points are vital if they want to beat the drop.
- English Barclays Premier League
- 21 April 2012, 3:00pm
- Ewood Park
- Attendance: 23,218
| Blackburn | v | Norwich |
2
| 0 |
match report
Superb strikes from Mauro Formica and Junior Hoilett gave Blackburn's survival hopes a mighty boost with a 2-0 home win over Norwich.
Formica volleyed home a Morten Gamst Pedersen cross on 40 minutes and four minutes after the break in Saturday's Premier League clash at Ewood Park, Hoilett let fly with a 25-yard screamer into the top corner.
Their goals brought an emphatic end to a run of five consecutive league defeats which had plunged beleaguered Steve Kean's men back into the drop zone.
Kean had made two changes for the crunch encounter, bringing back Formica as well as Gael Givet, whom the manager had declared "not in the right frame of mind" prior to last week's loss at Swansea.
All week Kean had insisted his side's fighting spirit was undamaged, and it was a mark of their belief that they managed to ride out the difficult early pressure.
Paul Lambert's Canaries looked flat-footed after last week's mauling by Manchester City and contributed little as Rovers took control from the start.
Bradley Orr and Scott Dann came close in the early stages but the tension was evident in boisterous calls for Kean's dismissal, which began before 10 minutes were on the clock.
James Vaughan had a half-chance for the visitors as the Rovers defence panicked in their own box, but at the other end Ryan Bennett had to hook clear to deny Hoilett.
Jonathan Howson came close for Norwich on the half-hour when his powerful long-range drive was tipped over by Paul Robinson in the Rovers goal.
But it was Rovers who managed to retain the upper hand, Yakubu almost connecting with a dangerous cross from Pedersen in front of goal.
And the Nigerian had his side's best early chance in the 37th minute when Pedersen headed down and he attempted an overhead kick which struck the base of the post.
Three minutes later Rovers grabbed the lead when Yakubu fed Pedersen on the right and the recalled Formica met the Norwegian's cross with a crisp sliding volley past Ruddy.
Rovers doubled their advantage shortly after the restart with Hoilett's seventh and best goal of the season, cutting in from the left flank and letting fly past a helpless Ruddy.
The Canaries were offering precious little in response as Rovers began to take a hold on the game, Hoilett almost finding Yakubu in front of goal on 55 minutes.
The visitors did briefly rally in the final quarter, Elliott Bennett's cross just eluding Elliott Ward, then Aaron Wilbraham bringing a fine low save out of Robinson.
But Rovers seldom looked troubled by the Norwich revival, and came close to a third 10 minutes from time when substitute Anthony Modeste headed inches over from another Pedersen cross.
advertisement
