Uefa Cup/Blackburn Rovers 1 AS Nancy 0:Just when Lucas Neill seemed to have confirmed his status as the local villain, Blackburn's right-back confounded his critics by claiming a stoppage-time winner to leave Mark Hughes's stuttering side top of Uefa Cup qualifying Group E.
By letting David Bentley's cross bounce before half-volleying it into the bottom corner from the edge of the area, Neill - who is desperate to leave Ewood Park next month and did not defend well here - ensured Rovers avoid teams dropping out of the Champions League in tomorrow's draw for the knock-out stages.
Until then, AS Nancy had been by far the better side, only Robbie Savage really impressing for a Blackburn team hitherto enduring a particularly bleak mid-winter.
Hughes made six changes to his starting line-up in the wake of Saturday's 3-1 home reverse to Newcastle here. That was Blackburn's sixth defeat in eight Premiership games, but, despite considerable criticism from locals, Neill kept his place, along with the captaincy.
Under the Uruguayan management of Pablo Correa, Nancy are prospering in the upper reaches of the French first division and enjoyed plenty of possession.
Indeed Carlos Kim's impressive pace was ruffling Rovers, who could have done without having to readjust their back-line when an injury to Todd necessitated his replacement by debutant Eddie Nolan. Even so, neither side were exactly creating a barrage of chances and Matt Derbyshire spurned Blackburn's first proper opening, making life easy for the visiting keeper by shooting straight at Johan Lapeyre after latching onto Neill's 22nd-minute through pass.
There was controversy when Issiar Dia was booked for diving after Neill had appeared to pull his shirt and haul him down in the penalty area. It seemed a lucky escape for Hughes's men, who enjoyed an even greater reprieve shortly before half-time when Kim left Neill trailing after skipping the Australian's tackle before his shot somehow hit a post with Brad Friedel beaten. Jay McEveley blocked Michael Chretien's follow-up strike.
A crowd of only 12,568 had turned up on a wild and windy east Lancashire evening but, those who made the trip were becoming more than a little impatient with Blackburn. By now even Hughes was cutting a disconsolate figure in the technical area.
His mood might have taken a turn for the worse had Pascal Berenguer made the most of a good chance all too easily conjured by Dia as Nancy began to play with a swagger. Friedel then did well to repel Benjamin Gavanon's whipped free kick.
Nevertheless, Blackburn might have taken the lead when Lapeyre made a superlative save from David Bentley, but in the end it was down to Neill to decide the outcome.
BLACKBURN ROVERS:Friedel, Neill, Todd (Nolan 28), Ooijer, McEveley, Bentley, Savage, Mokoena, Peter (Pedersen 67), Derbyshire, Gallagher (McCarthy 67). Subs not used: Brown, Kerimoglu, Nonda, Gray. Booked: Mokoena, Ooijer. Goal: Neill 90.
AS NANCY:Lapeyre, Lecluse, Diakhate, Puygrenier, Chretien, Berenguer, Andre Luiz, Gavanon, Biancalani (Sauget 73), Kim (Curbelo 76), Dia (N'Guemo 64). Subs not used: Sorin, Hamdani, Keita, Brison. Booked: Dia, Gavanon.
Referee:G Lehner (Austria).
