Neill puts his body on the line to leave Rovers frustrated
Predictably, Sam Allardyce left Ewood Park snarling about referee Chris Foy after Blackburn failed to lift themselves away from relegation trouble.
Big Sam and his pal at Hull City, Phil Brown, seem to take it in turn to berate match officials and yesterday Allardyce was fuming at West Ham's 35th-minute opener through Mark Noble.
Never mind that the goal was created with a classic series of one-touch passes, completed when Noble tucked away Diego Tristan's pass with the outside of his boot, the Rovers boss was angry that nobody had spotted Luis Boa Morte marginally offside earlier in the move.
ONE FOR ME: Keith Andrews (right) hails his leveller for Blackburn
He fumed: 'I have been angry at losing early goals this season but not today. It wasn't the fault of my players - it was the fault of the referee's assistant. With so much at stake, the officials' decisions have to be spot-on. There was no excuse for the assistant not to see the offside.'
Fortunately for the more sophisticated supporter, West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola is as charming as Allardyce is confrontational, even though his side conceded a 51st-minute equaliser to sub Keith Andrews.
'I didn't see the offside, but we also might have had a penalty when Christopher Samba pushed Kieron Dyer. It was very, very close,' twinkled the Italian.
Zola inherited a club in crisis owing to the Icelandic banking crash and an anticipated £20million pay-out to Sheffield United over Carlos Tevez, leading to a January fire sale of top players, including Craig Bellamy. But somehow they are in seventh place and looking good for the final European spot.
LAUGHING BOYS: West Ham celebrate Mark Noble's goal at Blackburn
'I hope we can have the problem of being in too many competitions next season,' he said. 'It will be a nice problem. Playing in Europe is always a fantastic experience and we will do everything we can to get there.'
West Ham's escape from Ewood Park owed more to heroic defending than the beautiful game Zola is known for. Ex-Rovers defender Lucas Neill, booed throughout by home fans on his return, will be battered and bruised this morning having got so many blocks in.
COLLECTOR'S ITEM: Kieron Dyer in action at Ewood Park
West Ham scored with a Zola-style goal when Noble started a glorious move in his own half. Boa Morte may have been offside in the build-up, but what followed after was exquisite, with the Portuguese winger and Tristan exchanging passes before Noble finished with aplomb.
Allardyce's decision to introduce Andrews at half-time paid quick dividends when Morten Gamst Pedersen's long throw was headed by Herita Ilunga straight to the Rovers sub, who scored his first Ewood Park goal from eight yards.
Rovers might have gone on to win it but James Tomkins, Scott Parker and Neill got their bodies in the way of everything fired at them.
BLACKBURN (4-4-2): Robinson; Ooijer (Andrews 46min), Samba, Nelsen, Givet; Diouf, Mokoena, Warnock, Pedersen; McCarthy, Roberts. Subs (not used): Brown, Tugay, Dunn, Khizanishvili, Villanueva, Treacy. Booked: Nelsen, Mokoena.
WEST HAM(4-4-2): Green; Spector, Tomkins, Neill, Ilunga; Noble, Parker, Kovac, Boa Morte (Lopez 79); Tristan (Payne 90), Di Michele (Dyer 82). Subs (not used): Lastuvka, Sears, N'Gala, Stanislas. Booked: Parker.
Referee: C Foy (Merseyside).
Predictably, Sam Allardyce left Ewood Park snarling about referee Chris Foy after Blackburn failed to lift themselves away from relegation trouble.
Big Sam and his pal at Hull City, Phil Brown, seem to take it in turn to berate match officials and yesterday Allardyce was fuming at West Ham's 35th-minute opener through Mark Noble.
Never mind that the goal was created with a classic series of one-touch passes, completed when Noble tucked away Diego Tristan's pass with the outside of his boot, the Rovers boss was angry that nobody had spotted Luis Boa Morte marginally offside earlier in the move.
ONE FOR ME: Keith Andrews (right) hails his leveller for Blackburn He fumed: 'I have been angry at losing early goals this season but not today. It wasn't the fault of my players - it was the fault of the referee's assistant. With so much at stake, the officials' decisions have to be spot-on. There was no excuse for the assistant not to see the offside.'
Fortunately for the more sophisticated supporter, West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola is as charming as Allardyce is confrontational, even though his side conceded a 51st-minute equaliser to sub Keith Andrews.
'I didn't see the offside, but we also might have had a penalty when Christopher Samba pushed Kieron Dyer. It was very, very close,' twinkled the Italian.
Zola inherited a club in crisis owing to the Icelandic banking crash and an anticipated £20million pay-out to Sheffield United over Carlos Tevez, leading to a January fire sale of top players, including Craig Bellamy. But somehow they are in seventh place and looking good for the final European spot.
LAUGHING BOYS: West Ham celebrate Mark Noble's goal at Blackburn 'I hope we can have the problem of being in too many competitions next season,' he said. 'It will be a nice problem. Playing in Europe is always a fantastic experience and we will do everything we can to get there.'
West Ham's escape from Ewood Park owed more to heroic defending than the beautiful game Zola is known for. Ex-Rovers defender Lucas Neill, booed throughout by home fans on his return, will be battered and bruised this morning having got so many blocks in.
COLLECTOR'S ITEM: Kieron Dyer in action at Ewood ParkWest Ham scored with a Zola-style goal when Noble started a glorious move in his own half. Boa Morte may have been offside in the build-up, but what followed after was exquisite, with the Portuguese winger and Tristan exchanging passes before Noble finished with aplomb.
Allardyce's decision to introduce Andrews at half-time paid quick dividends when Morten Gamst Pedersen's long throw was headed by Herita Ilunga straight to the Rovers sub, who scored his first Ewood Park goal from eight yards.
Rovers might have gone on to win it but James Tomkins, Scott Parker and Neill got their bodies in the way of everything fired at them.
BLACKBURN (4-4-2): Robinson; Ooijer (Andrews 46min), Samba, Nelsen, Givet; Diouf, Mokoena, Warnock, Pedersen; McCarthy, Roberts. Subs (not used): Brown, Tugay, Dunn, Khizanishvili, Villanueva, Treacy. Booked: Nelsen, Mokoena.
WEST HAM(4-4-2): Green; Spector, Tomkins, Neill, Ilunga; Noble, Parker, Kovac, Boa Morte (Lopez 79); Tristan (Payne 90), Di Michele (Dyer 82). Subs (not used): Lastuvka, Sears, N'Gala, Stanislas. Booked: Parker.
Referee: C Foy (Merseyside).
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