Feb 10

Blackburn Rovers 1-0 Hull City | Premier League match report

Master overcame apprentice once more as Sam Allardyce continued his unbeaten Premier League record against former sidekick Phil Brown. But, it was the loss of one of Brown’s on-field generals, the Dutch midfielder George Boateng, to a contentious first-half red card, that had more to do with the outcome than a tactical triumph by the Blackburn boss.

Blackburn, whose form at Ewood Park could not be more of a contrast to their woeful away displays, reacted well to the shake-up in personnel and formation imposed by manager Allardyce following their tepid defeat at Stoke.

There were changes aplenty; former Hull player Keith Andrews, and the more illustrious pair of Míchel Salgado and El Hadji Diouf were all drafted in, the defence redesigned due to Christopher Samba’s suspension and the policy of two frontmen ditched for a more conservative 4-1-4-1 system.

Hull goalkeeper Boaz Myhill acrobatically flipped a glancing header from Ryan Nelsen over the bar following a Morten Gamst Pedersen free-kick and then flapped at another nod across his six-yard box by Diouf before the home team took the lead on the quarter-hour.

Moment of fortune, or moment of magic, it came from a surge from left-back Martin Olsson who, taking Pedersen’s chipped pass in his stride, repelled a bustling challenge from Craig Fagan and, keeping his feet, he forced a left foot shot in off Myhill from an acute angle.

Seconds earlier, Hull might have been ahead themselves as an intricate exchange of passes led to Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink’s measured effort being turned around a post by Paul Robinson’s outstretched left hand.

But Hull’s chances of clawing their way back into the contest received a significant blow when Boateng was dismissed for a robust aerial challenge on Pedersen six minutes before the break. It was the kind of decision from referee Lee Probert that would make one advocate the use of technology in breaks of play.

Although Boateng was late, it appeared a genuine clash of heads and as both men lay prostrate, Probert’s reach for the red sparked mass remonstrations from those in amber shirts. They were to no avail, and after the Dutchman received lengthy treatment, he was dismissed.

Hull’s sense of injustice would have intensified had Nelsen managed to get a telling touch, two yards out, on the stroke of half-time. By that time, Vennegoor of Hesselink had been sacrificed as Brown stiffened his midfield.

While there was debate as to whether Boateng’s trailing arm had struck Pedersen, there was no doubt about the contact made by Paul McShane’s lash at Probert, which greeted a booking for a challenge on Diouf. It was a moment of petulance for which he should have walked.

McShane did exit as part of double substitution designed to give the 10 men more offensive capacity. However, it was Myhill who kept the deficit to only, fisting out a Brett Emerton drive and diverting a point-blank Gael Givet header onto the bar.

Blackburn RoversHull CityPremier LeagueSam AllardycePhil Brownguardian.co.uk

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Oct 30

Premier League team news: Defensive headache for Manchester United

• Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand doubtful for Manchester United
• Boaz Myhill injury adds to Hull’s problems

Birmingham City v Manchester City
Mark Hughes expects Kolo Touré and Martin Petrov to be back in the squad for Sunday’s trip to Birmingham City, having missed the midweek Carling Cup win over Scunthorpe with minor injuries.

Wayne Bridge and Craig Bellamy, both rested to the bench for that fourth round tie, are also likely to be back in the side. Hughes has virtually a fully fit squad to chose from, with only Nedum Onuoha and Robinho still recovering from injuries. Both are close to returning.

Man City (from): Given, Richard, Zabaleta, Lescott, Touré, Bridge, Kompany, Ireland, Wright-Phillips, Bellamy, De Jong, Barry, Sylvinho, Santa Cruz, Adebayor, Tevez, Taylor, Weiss, Johnson.

Burnley v Hull City
Owen Coyle will give goalkeeper Brian Jensen “every chance” to recover from the injury he sustained in last weekend’s home defeat to Wigan Athletic.

X-rays revealed that Jensen, who has yet to resume full training, had suffered only slight ligament damage to his ankle so Diego Penny is on stand-by for tomorrow’s meeting with Hull should he be needed. Stephen Jordan suffered a thigh strain in the same game but is expected to recover in time.

Burnley are still without long-term absentees Martin Paterson, Chris McCann (both knee) and Jay Rodriguez (ankle).

Troubled Hull will be without their goalkeeper Boaz Myhill tomorrow. The Wales international injured his medial knee ligaments in the closing stages of last weekend’s goalless draw with Portsmouth and will sit out the match, though the under-pressure manager Phil Brown is hopeful he will not prove a long-term absentee.

The midfielder Jimmy Bullard did not train with his team-mates yesterday due to a shin injury and a decision is still to be made on his participation at Turf Moor.

Burnley (from): Jensen, Caldwell, Mears, Eckersley, Duff, Carlisle, Bikey, Jordan, Alexander, Fletcher, Elliott, Blake, Thompson, Eagles, Penny, Kalvanes, Gudjonsson, Edgar, Easton, Nugent, Guerrero.

Hull City (from): Warner, Duke, McShane, Kilbane, Sonko, Dawson, Barmby, Marney, Zayatte, Geovanni, Hunt, Vennegoor of Hesselink, Ghilas, Mendy, Altidore, Bullard, Gardner, Mouyokolo, Olofinjana, Cousin, Halmosi, Boateng, Fagan, Garcia, Cooper, Atkinson, Featherstone.

Everton v Aston Villa
The Aston Villa goalkeeper Brad Friedel could make his 200th successive Premier League performance tomorrow. Friedel is likely to replace Brad Guzan even though his fellow American made three penalty shoot-out saves in the midweek Carling Cup win over Sunderland.

Stephen Warnock is battling to overcome an ankle injury suffered at the Stadium of Light and Nicky Shorey could deputise if he is ruled out.

The striker Emile Heskey and the midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker picked up knocks but Villa manager Martin O’Neill is hopeful of having them available. John Carew and Steve Sidwell, who made way for the pair at Sunderland, will be in contention for a recall to the starting line-up.

Aston Villa (from) Friedel, Guzan, Cuellar, Beye, Luke Young, Collins, Dunne, Warnock, Shorey, Milner, Petrov, Sidwell, Reo-Coker, Delph, Gardner, Ashley Young, Agbonlahor, Carew, Heskey, Delfouneso, Clark.

Manchester United v Blackburn Rovers
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has defensive problems ahead of the match against Blackburn at Old Trafford tomorrow. Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand are both doubtful with calf problems and Gary Neville is suspended.

Ryan Giggs also has a knock and Danny Welbeck, who scored in the Carling Cup victory against Barnsley in midweek, is sidelined with a knee injury.

Darren Fletcher and Ji-Sung Park remain absent with groin and knee injuries respectively.

Manchester United (from): Van der Sar, Kuszczak, Foster, O’Shea, Vidic, Ferdinand, Brown, J Evans, Evra, Anderson, Rafael, Carrick, Scholes, Valencia, Giggs, Rooney, Barbatov, Nani, Owen, Macheda, Obertan, Fabio, Tosic.

Portsmouth v Wigan Athletic
Portsmouth welcome back Kevin-Prince Boateng, Jamie O’Hara, Mike Williamson and Tommy Smith tomorrow. The four were cup-tied for Tuesday’s Carling Cup win over Stoke City.

Papa Bouba Diop (hamstring) and Hermann Hreidarsson (foot tendon) are still recovering and will not feature against the Latics.

Wigan will be without Maynor Figueroa as the Honduran full-back recovers from a knee injury. He is expected to be sidelined for up to seven weeks after suffering the setback in the victory against Burnley.

Paul Scharner is doubtful with a hamstring injury while the goalkeeper Chris Kirkland remains troubled by a dislocated finger.

Portsmouth (from): James, Kaboul, Mokoena, Mullins, Kanu, Basinas, Belhadj, Vanden Borre, Piquionne, Ben-Haim, Yebda, Dindane, Finnan, Webber, Brown, Wilson, Ashdown, O’Hara, Boateng, Williamson, Smith.

Wigan Athletic (from): Kirkland, Bramble, Scharner, Gomez, Melchiot, Boyce, N’Zogbia, Diame, Thomas, Scotland, Rodallega, Koumas, Sinclair, Pollitt, Cho, Kapo, Kingson, McCarthy.

Stoke City v Wolverhampton Wanderers
The Stoke City manager Tony Pulis is expected to recall his goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen to the line-up following the Dane’s late withdrawal at Tottenham Hotspur last weekend with flu.

Steve Simonsen stepped in and performed heroics to secure a 1-0 win at White Hart Lane, and was again in the side that lost 4-0 at Portsmouth in the Carling Cup on Tuesday.

Pulis also has to decide whether to bring Mamady Sidibe into the reckoning after the striker’s return to action at Fratton Park following a knee injury. Tuncay also performed well at Portsmouth and could force his way into a side still missing the suspended Robert Huth.

Wolves welcome back the striker Stefan Maierhofer after the Austrian served a one-match ban. However, the manager Mick McCarthy is poised to name an unchanged starting line-up, with Maierhofer on the bench as Kevin Doyle and Sylvan Ebanks-Blake continue in attack.

The on-loan Chelsea central defender Michael Mancienne is available again after missing the last two games through illness.

Stoke City (from): Sorensen, Wilkinson, Shawcross, Faye, Collins, Delap, Whelan, Whitehead, Diao, Etherington, Beattie, Tuncay, Fuller, Higginbotham, Cort, Lawrence, Kitson, Pugh, Simonsen, Sidibe.

Wolves (from): Hennessey, Hahnemann, Zubar, Stearman, Berra, Mancienne, Craddock, Elokobi, Hill, Kightly, Halford, Henry, Milijas, Surman, Castillo, Edwards, Jarvis, Ebanks-Blake, Iwelumo, Keogh, Maierhofer, Doyle.

Sunderland v West Ham United
Sunderland striker Darren Bent is facing a race to be fit tomorrow as he battles to overcome a knee problem.

The forward missed Tuesday’s Carling Cup penalty shoot-out defeat by Aston Villa but is rated as better than 50-50 for the Hammers clash, after returning to training yesterday.

Fellow striker Fraizer Campbell is a doubt after suffering a knock against Villa, while Phil Bardsley (shoulder) and George McCartney (hip) are also touch-and-go. Midfielder Bolo Zenden and centre-back John Mensah are ruled out. Lee Cattermole is a long-term absentee with knee ligament damage.

Sunderland (from): Gordon, Fulop, Bardsley, Da Silva, Nosworthy, Ferdinand, Turner, Richardson, McCartney, Reid, Malbranque, Cana, Henderson, Campbell, Jones, Bent, Healy, Murphy.

Premier LeagueManchester UnitedBlackburn RoversHull CityBurnleyEvertonAston VillaPortsmouthWigan AthleticStoke CityWolverhampton WanderersSunderlandWest Ham Unitedguardian.co.uk

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