Yorke and Friedel put an end to Rovers' rot

Blackburn Rovers 2 Fulham 1

Brad Friedel made a record-breaking rapid return from knee surgery to be instrumental in guiding Rovers to the victory they have been fretting for.

The imposing American goalkeeper's quick-healing properties meant that he missed only one game after going under the knife, and how glad Blackburn were to have him in action yesterday; a saved penalty was merely the preparatory work for denying Fulham an equaliser with three more blocks in swift succession in the last few minutes at Ewood Park.

"We have a good medical team here and their advice was that it would only be one game he would miss," said his manager, Graeme Souness.

There was nothing new about that, nor about Rovers' failure to turn their opportunities into goals. In the first half-hour yesterday, Edwin Van Der Sar twice saved from David Dunn and saw Andy Cole miss an open goal from two yards out after David Thompson had volleyed a cross back into his path.

When the breakthrough did come, it was from an attack down the other side of the field, initiated by Lucas Neill. He played it in for Cole, Dunn found Damien Duff, and Dwight Yorke was there to apply the finishing touch to an outstanding team goal, his first since the victory over Arsenal - Blackburn's last in the Premiership - five weeks ago.

Fulham should have equalised before half-time when a move of equal quality ended with an incisive final ball from Sean Davis to Silvain Legwinski, but he managed to spoon his shot over from close range.

A length-of-the-field counterattack from Davis via Lee Clark to Lewis Boa Morte could also have levelled the scores early in the second half, but Friedel was out quick to smother his shot. It took the arrival of the Japanese midfielder Junichi Inamoto to trigger the equaliser. His first touch sent Boa Morte through the middle and Steve Marlet's deflected shot found the corner with Friedel this time helpless.

After Duff and Yorke both missed good chances, an eventful game should have swung Fulham's way when Craig Short, embarrassed by Boa Morte's blistering pace, brought him down for the clearest of penalties.

There was not much wrong with Marlet's spot-kick, but Friedel threw himself to his left to save.

"The goalkeeper was great. We deserved a draw at the very least," said Fulham's assistant manager, Christian Damiano. They would have got it but for Rufus Brevett's misfortune 14 minutes from the final whistle.

Facundo Sava's own-goal consigned them to defeat at Hertha Berlin in midweek and this time it was the defender's turn as Dunn's clever flick released Duff and Yorke got an acrobatic foot to his cross. Edwin van der Sar managed to keep it out but then saw the ball come straight back past him off Brevett.

That only turned out to be the decider because of Fried-el's heroics in the final minutes, with instinctive saves from Boa Morte, Marlet and Legwinski. The importance of his contribution and Brevett's inadvertent help with their goalscoring problems meant this could not be regarded as the smoothest of wins for Blackburn, but they will accept it gratefully and without too much examination.

"We became nervous the longer the game went on," admitted Souness. "We've had a wee bit of luck but I believe that luck evens itself out."

Blackburn Rovers 2
Yorke 35, Brevett og 77

Fulham 1
Marlet 60

Half-time: 1-0 Attendance: 21,096