Blackburn 0 West Ham 1

In a fairly even first half West Ham had the better of the possession but neither side showed much threat going forward.

Blackburn had a couple of long range efforts early on, Tugay and Dunn both coming close with 30 yard efforts. Parker also had a chance from long range, for West Ham, in the 33rd minute but his 25 yard shot flew just wide of the left hand post.

As seems to be the way lately West Ham's best chance of the half fell to Solano inside the box but he shot over the bar. Blackburn immediately broke up field and Blackburn's best chance fell to Perdersen 6 yards out wide left of the goal. His shot was saved low down by Green.

Curbishley brought on Ashton for Etherington in the second half and his substitution was almost immediately rewarded. In the 51st minute Boa Morte robbed the ball from a Blackburn defender, drove into the box and won a corner. From the corner McCartney's shot from 7 yards was blocked. The ball found its way out to Solano who passed the ball down the left wing to McCartney again. McCartney fired the ball low across the six yard box to Ashton who thumped the ball home into an almost empty net.

After that Blackburn applied a bit more pressure going forward and had three good chances to equalise, two falling to Santa Cruz. The first came from a Pedersen cross that Santa Cruz headed wide from five yards. The second came when he was fed clean through, but an out rushing Green did enough to put Santa Cruz off who blasted the ball over from 7 yards.

The third fell to Tugay from a Blackburn corner. Tugay rocketed the ball goalwards from 20 yards through a crowded penalty area but Green, diving to his right, pulled off one of the saves of the season.

West Ham themselves continued to create chances on the break and Ashton probably should have got his second when Ooijer pulled up with a hamstring and Cole fed Aston one on one with the goalie but Ashton fired over from eight yards.