Blackburn win 2-0 at Bolton

Nov 22, 2009 - 5:29 PM By WALTER SIMON STATS European Football Writer=

LONDON (SE) - Blackburn gave stricken manager Sam Allardyce the perfect get well present by ending their eight-month wait for an away win with a 2-0 victory over Lancashire rivals Bolton on Sunday.

Allardyce missed the match in preparation for undergoing heart surgery as David Dunn set the visitors on course for their first victory on the road since March with a superb 32nd minute strike.

Bolton defender Sam Ricketts's comical own goal 17 minutes from time sealed a surprisingly comfortable win.

Man-of-the-match Dunn said: "It was a major shock when we heard about the manager. He is a big man so he must need a big ticker to keep him going.

"We all wish him the best in his operation and that win is for him.

"It has been a tough few weeks for us but we have ten games ahead now where we believe we can pick up points and start climbing the table."

Blackburn, led by Allardyce's assistant Neil McDonald, were bidding to avoid an 11th successive away Premier League defeat and Bolton should have taken the lead with only 13 minutes gone.

Gavin McCann picked out Matt Taylor with a high ball over the top of Blackburn's defence but the former England under-21 midfielder could not make clean contact inside the six-yard box.

Joey O'Brien came to the home side's rescue in the 23rd minute, getting back to hook Dunn's header off the line after he had outmuscled Gary Cahill.

The key moment of the first half came 13 minutes before the interval as Bolton came within inches of taking the lead only to concede seconds later.

Blackburn had a lucky escape when Taylor's 25-yard free kick was deflected onto the crossbar by captain Ryan Nelsen.

The visitors launched a swift counter attack, which culminated in Jason Roberts rolling the ball into Dunn's path and Blackburn's leading scorer expertly side-footing into Jussi Jaaskelainen's top left corner from 12 yards.

Rovers goalkeeper Paul Robinson tried a cheeky attempt to make it 2-0 from inside his own half after spotting opposite number Jaaskelainen off his line but the Finn managed to scramble the ball away.

Robinson did well to turn Taylor's inswinging free kick over the crossbar on the stroke of half time.

Taylor passed up another glorious chance from the resulting corner, putting a free header high over the bar from McCann's centre.

Blackburn were denied by a second goalline clearance three minutes after time when McCann bravely headed El Hadji Diouf's powerful volley over behind for a corner.

McCann stopped Bolton falling further behind moments later, blocking Roberts' flicked header on the line after Nelsen had nodded on Dunn's corner.

Blackburn were gifted their points-clinching second when a breakdown in communication between Ricketts and Jaaskelainen ended with the Welsh full back heading an attempting back pass over his goalkeeper and into his own net.

Bolton manager Gary Megson, whose side were booed off at the final whistle, said: "We had as many chances as them in the first half and paid the price for not taking them."