ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE: Fulham 3 Blackburn Rovers 0:FULHAM RETURNED to winning ways courtesy of Clint Dempsey's double as Blackburn failed to provide manager Sam Allardyce with another victory during his absence for heart surgery.
Rovers goalkeeper Paul Robinson did not have a save to make until Erik Nevland squeezed a finish in at the near post after 43 minutes, and the game was still up for grabs until Dempsey tapped in with 23 minutes remaining.
He then grabbed his second before the end, meaning the visitors failed to build on their win over Bolton at the weekend.
Blackburn had a chance to claim an early advantage. Keith Andrews weighted a ball through the defence, Franco di Santo got on the wrong side of Aaron Hughes but Mark Schwarzer stood up well and blocked the finish.
Fulham’s response was a direct move that saw Bobby Zamora hold the ball up, Damien Duff cross to the far post and Dempsey head wide while under pressure.
Nevland’s goal came two minutes before the break and was totally at odds with the 43 before it.
Zamora sparked the slick move by backheeling to his strike partner, Nevland then exchanged passes with Duff before setting his sights from the right side of the area.
Robinson would have been disappointed with Nevland’s finish going in at the near post.
Fulham got their second when Duff ran at full-back Pascal Chimbonda and curled in a cross that split the defence and allowed Dempsey to tap in.
Dempsey’s second came just before the final whistle.
He collected Simon Davies’ cross at the near post, held off Andrews and slotted past Robinson.
FULHAM: Schwarzer, Pantsil, Hughes, Hangeland, Konchesky, Dempsey, Greening (Etuhu 81), Baird, Duff (Davies 85), Zamora (Gera 58), Nevland. Subs not used: Zuberbuhler, Seol, Smalling, Dikgacoi. Goals: Nevland 43, Dempsey 67, 88.
BLACKBURN: Robinson, Jacobsen, Samba, Nelsen, Chimbonda, Andrews, Dunn, Grella, Diouf, Di Santo (Kalinic 66), Roberts (McCarthy 66). Subs not used: Brown, Pedersen, Nzonzi, Hoilett, Salgado.
Referee: Stuart Attwell (Warwickshire).
