STILL NO JOY FOR INCE
Portsmouth 3-2 Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers made a wonderful come back having conceded two goals in 5 minutes - but it wasn't enough and they suffered another Premier League defeat at Fratton Park. Their last league win was in September at Newcastle - and for a few minutes it looked like their next would be at Portsmouth. After a good first half that saw Rovers back in the dressing room at 0-0, the second half couldn't have had a worse start. Three minutes in Peter Crouch gave the home side the lead - then five minutes later Jermain Defoe made it 2-0 ... Rovers look dead and buried. But Paul Ince decided to trade strikers bringing on Matt Derbyshire for Beni McCarthy. Only one minute later the Rovers favourite had headed home courtesy of a Morten Gamst Pedersen cross. 2-1 and Blackburn were back in it. Then only five minutes later Tugay claimed his first of the season with a long range strike. All square at 2-2 and a great fight back .... But Blackburn couldn't hang on, and Portsmouth sub Sean Davis gave them the lead again with their 3rd. And despite Rovers efforts - they just couldn't find another to salvage a point.
The defeat was Rovers' 4th in a row, and next up it's Manchester United in the League Cup (On Wednesday) before Liverpool at Ewood on Saturday.
These are very tough times for Paul Ince and his Blackburn side.(30th November 2008)
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Rovers Away tie in FA Cup Draw
Bournemouth or Blyth Spartans v Blackburn
Rovers had to wait 'till almost the end of the draw to find out who they would meet in the 3rd round of this years FA cup - and when the balls came out it still wasn't decisive. What we do know is that Blackburn will be away - but Bournmouth and Blyth Spartan need to play again to decide who should play host. Their game yesterday ended 0-0. Bournmouth are currently 2nd bottom of League 2, with Blue Square North side Blyth (also 2nd bottom) more than happy to take the league side back to their place for the replay. Blackburn might have fancied a home tie - but must be happy to know that the magic of the cup might see them play the conference side in the North East at Croft Park.
The game to be played in the first week of January.
The complete draw is:-

Portsmouth v Bristol City Sheffield Wed v Fulham Preston v Liverpool Birmingham v Wolves West Ham v Barnsley Middlesbrough v Barrow Hull City v Newcastle Hartlepool v Stoke Chelsea v Southend Manchester City v Nottingham Forest Cardiff v Reading Ipswich v Chesterfield or Droylsden Charlton v Norwich West Brom v Peterborough or Tranmere Torquay v Blackpool Leyton Orient v Sheffield United Southampton v Manchester United Millwall v Carlisle or Crewe Histon v Swansea Forest Green Rovers v Derby QPR v Burnley Leicester v Crystal Palace Tottenham v Wigan Morecambe or Cheltenham v Doncaster Arsenal v Plymouth Notts County or Kettering v Eastwood Town Bournemouth or Blyth Spartans v Blackburn Macclesfield v Everton Watford v Scunthorpe Sunderland v Bolton Coventry v Kidderminster Gillingham or Stockport v Aston Villa.
bbc.co.uk (Full Draw details)

WHITE HEART PAIN
Tottenham 1-0 Blackburn Rovers
For half this fixture - Rovers were down to ten men after a second yellow for Martin Olsson saw the young left back - see red. Spurs took the lead after only ten minutes - and it was largely Olsson's failure to keep up with an in form Aaron Lennon that saw Roman Pavlyuchenko beat Robinson. Benni McCarthy squandered a great chance to make it 1-1 on 23 minutes when his shot went over the bar. Blackburn had looked the more likely to score as out of form keeper Gomes fumbled another Rovers shot. On 39 minutes, Olsson committed a second bookable offense when he fouled Lennon, and Blackburn were down to ten men. To be fair this wasn't a game that saw Rover outplayed - in fact if anything ten man Rovers did better than the full eleven. The reshuffle for the second half saw Benni McCarthy give way to Danny Simpson who took over at left back. Now with only a solo striker it was harder for Blackburn to find the final ball. But they still managed to put some good passages of play together. Sadly this wasn't rewarded with the equaliser they probably deserved.
The result saw Spurs out of the bottom three and Blackburn hit 19th - while Harry Redknapp continued the Spurs revival. (23rd November 2008)
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THE DEFINITION OF 'A GAME OF TWO HALVES'
Blackburn Rovers 1-2 Sunderland
After a first half that was rewarded with Rovers chances from the first minute and end with a goal in the last - the second couldn't have been a bigger contrast. Manager Paul Ince would have been disappointed that Blackburn had only a one goal advantage. His half time team talk probably warned of a Sunderland come back & if you keep up the same pressure - you'll have no problems. Whatever the words - they didn't seem to have the desired affect, because Roy Keane's team DID start like a train, and never hit the buffers. Rovers on the other hand spent 45 minutes in the sidings!
Chris Samba collected 'man of the match' - and it was his 46th minute header that gave Blackburn the 1-0 half time lead. He'd also made some important defensive moves. Just three minutes after the break Kenwyne Jones beat Paul Robinson after the Rovers keeper had just dealt with a Sunderland corner. The visitors continued to push Blackburn back, and it was no surprise when Djibril Cisse added their second. There were few chances for Rovers, and top quote Paul Ince "It was a diabolical performance and the players should be a bit embarrassed by what happened"
The result saw Rovers drop into the relegation zone - while Sunderland moved from second bottom to 11th. The good news is that only 2 points separate the two teams.
Ince told accepted that Sunderland's first goal was a defensive error: "It was a mistake [from Robinson] as he just came at the wrong time. But he has been outstanding for us and we are all in this together." And the Manager admitted: "I have just had a go at the players as I am upset and angry. We could have been three or four goals ahead by half-time. We got punished in the second half." (15th November 2008)
bbc.co.uk (report) PLUS goals0809 + t&t0809

ROVERS AWAY TO UNITED IN CARLING CUP
Tough Quarter final draw
Rovers hope of a home tie & possibly Championship opposition wasn't to be as the draw was made for the quarter finals of this years Carling Cup. The dream of a Lancashire derby with Burnley didn't materialise - what did is probably one of the toughest ties left in the competition. Blackburn Rovers heard Manchester Untied get a home tie & then ball number 2 - reveal their name to visit Old Trafford!
The full draw for the final four games is:
Stoke City v Derby County ~ Manchester United v Blackburn Rovers ~ Burnley v Arsenal ~ Watford v Tottenham Hotspur
The games to be played w/c 1st December 2008 (15th November 2008)

v

ROVERS CRUZ INTO QUARTER FINALS
Sunderland 1-2 Blackburn Rovers
Paul Ince made 7 changes from the team who lost at Ewood Park at the weekend - and the Blackburn Manager gave a debut to young midfield player Andy Haworth. Robbie Fowler joined Matt Derbyshire up front and there was also a recall for Keith Treacy. With just 6 minutes gone it was Haworth who had Rovers first shot at goal - but shot wide. There weren't that many more first half chances for either side - but Paul Robbinson made a reflex save to deny Danny Collins and Kenwyne Jones found the bar. 0-0 at the break. The game came to life with the introduction of Roque Santa Cruz - on for Andy Haworth ... within moments Chris Samba had provide the perfect cross for Roque to head home. Five minutes later Rovers were two up after Phillip Bardsley gifted them with an own goal. And that's when things could have gone badly wrong. 60 seconds later Kenwyne Jones had got one back for the home side ... and from a period of dominance, Rovers looked vulnerable. But Blackburn held on to continue their excellent record in the North East.
Rovers last win was at Newcastle at the end of September - and it's Sunderland again on Saturday at Ewood Park. Paul Ince will now be delighted to find his side in the Quarter Finals of the League Cup - draw on Saturday lunchtime. (12th November 2008)

EXTRA - Burnley knocked Chelsea out of the cup on penalties 5-4, having drawn 1-1 and taken the game to extra time!

bbc.co.uk (report) PLUS goals0809 + t&t0809 + carling0809

MONSOON MADNESS AT EWOOD
Blackburn Rovers 0-2 Chelsea
Rovers latest encounter with the weather looked bad enough to be abandoned as the first half unfolded ... The Rain bounced off the walkway and the pitch provided perfect aquaplane conditions. A call from the 4th official for a weather forecast update suggested that the downpour would end in 20 minutes - which was bang on. As Rovers weathered the storm (from Chelsea and the rain) conditions improved and so did their possession! So it was disappointing when Anelka was credited with the visitors opening goal which looked to have gone in off his hand. The ball trickled through the water over the line as Paul Robinson protested. It was still a goal and not what Rovers deserved. Jason Roberts found himself one on one with Cech, but the Chelsea man was ready for the stop. Carlos Villanueva also had a great chance - but Rovers went in 0-1 down. With a dry start to the second period Blackburn again tried to play some good football - but the game probably ended as a contest when Anelka scored his second on 67 minutes. The stats show the visitors with 60% possession - but that probably said more about the first half that the entire encounter. Morten Gams Pedersen claimed man of the match - but it was a day that saw Robinson make some crucial saves and keep the final score to simply 0-2.
Paul Ince told reporters:- "They played well in the first half but Robinson was in fine form and made four or five great saves. "We took the game to them in the second half and we could have got something out of the game. It's disappointing that our performances haven't got us the points we deserved but there is no need to panic, we just need an element of luck to push us forward."
Blackburn fell to 15th after the other results came in ... But with 13 points they're only 3 points off the top half, and 7 off a top six place ... what a strange season! (9th November 2008)

bbc.co.uk (report) ALSO bbc.co.uk (Paul Ince interview) PLUS goals0809 + t&t0809

THREE MORE YEARS FOR ROBERTS
Jason agrees news contract
Blackburn Rovers have announced that striker Jason Rovers will now be at Ewood Park 'till 2011. At one stage it looked as if he wanted a move away from the club - but now under Paul Ince he told reporters "I've been happy since I've been here for the majority of the time, so I'm pleased that it is now signed, sealed and delivered. I'm very happy with the length of the deal and I hope to show the best of my abilities on the pitch."
Jason joined Blackburn from local North West rivals Wigan two years ago for £3 million. He'd been their top scorer and formerly played at Bristol Rovers and West Brom. (6th November 2008)

bbc.co.uk (full story)

10 MAN ROVERS & ANOTHER LATE LATE SHOW
West Brom 2-2 Blackburn Rovers
Rovers had to play for an hour with only ten men after Benni McCarthy is wrongly shown a second yellow for a shoulder ball! The match which saw Paul Ince have to choose another Blackburn eleven also saw a first for Keith Andrews as Rovers came back in the final minute to claim a second and a well earned point.
It sounded like Blackburn had another good game - Benni McCarthy up front with Jason Roberts and ready to take the penalty awarded for Ryan Donk foul on Roberts. Blackburn held their one goal lead 'till the break, and it was ten minutes into the second half that Roman Bednar leveled the scores. It looked all over for the visitors with another five minutes later for Ishmael Miller. If anything Rovers had a better second half at times - continuing to push forward whenever they got a chance. And they were rewarded in the final minute of regular time when Keith Andrews found the back of the net from 25 yards with his first Rovers goal. Last season Blackburn lost 2-1 to the Baggies - not this time .. and they hung on for the added on four minutes to claim a vital point.
The Manager had mixed feeling when he talked to the press post match:- "The sending-off just ruins the game. After the penalty for us, the referee gave West Brom everything. Every free-kick just went straight to West Brom so, whether he felt he made a bad decision, I don't know. Everything seemed to go their way. The game is hard enough at the moment. The Premier League is a physical league, it is fast and furious, and people are going to make tackles. Give red cards for dangerous and malicious tackles where the studs are up, fair enough. It is not a game for women."
The result keeps Blackburn 13th in the table - but it's Chelsea next Sunday at Ewood - and they battered Sunderland 5-0 today!! (1st November 2008)
bbc.co.uk (report) ALSO bbc.co.uk (Paul Ince interview) PLUS goals0809 + t&t0809

STEPHEN WARNOCK

NO REWARD DESPITE EARLY LEAD
Aston Villa 3-2 Blackburn Rovers
A goal in injury time at the end of both halves - and Rovers return from Villa Park with no points despite long periods in which they bossed the game ..
A late blow for Blackburn - was an injury during the warm up to Roque Santa Cruz - so Benni McCarthy started up front supported by Carlos Villanueva. Stephen Warnock claimed his Rovers first goal of the season - but with a minute of extra time added to the first half Luke Young claimed his first Aston Villa goal as the ref blew his interval whistle. Blackburn only had themselves to blame for giving the ball away after the break - and Villa took their chances to take a 3-1 lead - but with 93 minutes on the watch, Rovers collected a very late consolation goal.
Rovers seemed to have claimed most of the first half play & possession - and an under par Villa seemed to have little to offer. On the half hour mark Benni McCarthy linked up with Stephen Warnock - playing once again in midfield - and the ball flew past Brad Friedel to give the visitors the lead. As the 45 minutes ran down, Rovers seemed less together, and started to give the ball away. So when Nicky Shorey crossed to Luke Young, there was little Paul Robinson could do to keep the ball out, 1-1 at the break. Again it was Blackburn who started the stronger, with some great passing and build up play - but they were unable to test Freidel. Just past the hour Gareth Barry scored from close range and then Rovers had to contend with a head injury to Warnock. He spend some time on the ground but recovered to continue - if a little groggy. Ince made substitutions - bringing on Matt Derbyshire and Martin Olsson for McCarthy and Gamst Pedersen. Strangely the changes seemed to weaken the visitors, and with less than four minutes to go Agbonlahor put the game beyond them. However just like last Saturday - with three minutes of injury time already played, Derbyshire was brought down just outside the area. And it was Brett Emerrton who took the free kick finding the back of Friedel's net.
Blackburn will believe they deserved at least a point - and return to the midlands on Saturday needing to find a winner to keep in touch with the mid table group of teams.
bbc.co.uk (report) PLUS goals0809 + t&t0809