Blackburn 1 West Ham 2

The footballing Gods smiled down on West Ham today as they earned their first away win of the season.

Blackburn had the better of the first half without creating too many goal scoring opportunities. Pedersen should have scored for Rovers in the 39th minute when he was put clean through but his 12 yard chip over an out rushing Green just missed right of the post.

West Ham's best opportunities involved Tevez. As early as the first minute the Argentinian created space for himself and shot from the edge of the penalty area, but in the end it was an easy save for Friedel. In the 26th minute Tevez chased a long ball forward and managed to pull the ball back for Harewood whose 10 yard shot flew well wide of the left hand post.

At half time Mullins was brought on for Noble but the half started badly for West Ham as within two minutes Rovers opened the scoring. Samba headed home a corner from one yard rising to meet the ball practically unopposed.

West Ham however responded brilliantly to this poor start and began to dominate the half. Their persistence paid off in the 69th minute when Reo-Coker played an excellent ball to Tevez in the penalty area. Tevez was brought down and the linesman awarded a penalty. Tevez fired the penalty into the bottom right of the goal with Friedel diving the wrong way.

In the 74nd minute, after a period of sustained pressure on the Rovers' goal, Mullins fired in a right wing cross and Collins' header from six yards was tipped over the bar by Friedel. From the corner a Bowyer flick was hacked off the line but the ball flew straight to Zamora, who from five yards smashed the ball at the goal. The ball was blocked on the line by Tevez, however a West Ham friendly linesman wrongly decided the ball had crossed the line to make it 2-1 to West Ham.

West Ham then hung on gamely to earn what in the end was a deserved win.