Blackburn hold out as Chelsea misfire

Blackburn Rovers 0 Chelsea

A bit of a mystery, this, as a game full of flowing attacking football and inviting opportunities ended in a goalless draw that will not do very much for either sides' aspirations at their different ends of the Premiership table.

Chelsea's pursuit of the fourth place in the Champions' League really demanded a win last night, and they made few concessions to Sunday's FA Cup semi-final in the side they put on the field. But they missed their best chances at the start of the second half and after that it was Blackburn, still in need of points to ensure they are not dragged back into the last throes of the relegation battle, who looked the more likely winners. "I thought we had the better chances, had the better play and were the better team," said the Rovers manager, Graeme Souness. "Apart from 10 minutes before half-time, we bossed the game tonight."

The pattern was set early on, with both sides carving out chances for normally prolific strikers who could not take advantage. Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink shot without success on a couple of occasions when a pass to a better-placed colleague might have been more productive and Andy Cole twice missed the target, although, from one opportunity, the more difficult, he skimmed the foot of the post.

Gianfranco Zola was a constant threat for Chelsea on the left, while David Dunn looked equally dangerous for Rovers. One of the best chances, however, fell to the full-back, Lucas Neill, when the Chelsea defence opened up obligingly for him. His shot was firm enough, but a little too close to Carlo Cudicini to trouble him unduly.

Chelsea badly needed the win to have any realistic chance of overhauling Newcastle and taking that coveted fourth place, and they had their golden opportunity immediately after the break. Hasselbaink, not at his sharpest, managed to make room for a thumping left-footed shot, which was knocked down by Brad Friedel. The ball fell for Eidur Gudjohnsen, who had a relatively simple task but spooned his close-range effort over the bar.

Zola then sent Gudjohnsen through and, when his shot was palmed out by the hard-pressed Friedel, the little Italian could not quite get onto the end of the rebound.

After that, it was Rovers who made the running. Tugay Kerimoglu's fierce volley was not far away and there were a series of crosses which peppered the visitors' goal without anyone being able to find the crucial touch. "It was a cracking 0-0," enthused Souness. "I'm happy with a point from that match."

The Blackburn manager believes that another two wins will ensure safety and, barring a miraculous run from Ipswich, they surely will. Rovers might have been lacking the finish last night but, if they had played like this all season, survival would never have been in doubt.

Blackburn Rovers (4-4-2): Friedel 6; Neill 7, Berg 5, Short 5, Bjornebye 5; Gillespie 6, Tugay 7, Dunn 7, Duff 6; Jansen 6, A Cole 5. Substitutes not used: Flitcroft, Johansson, Yordi, Hakan, Kelly (gk).

Chelsea (4-4-2): Cudicini 6; Melchiot 8, Terry 7, Desailly 7, Ferrer 5; Stanic 5, Lampard 6, Petit 5, Zola 7; Hasselbaink 5, Gudjohnsen 5 (Zenden, 76). Substitutes not used: Jokanovic, Dalla Bona, C Cole, De Goey (gk).

Referee: S Dunn (Bristol) 7.