Bellamy Strike Sinks Boro

Craig Bellamy scored a superb winner to sink Middlesborough in an eventful game at Ewood Park which saw Robbie savage sent-off for the first time in his domestic career.

Mark Hughes said before the game that he hoped Middlesborough would be tired from thier mid-week game with Roma. However, that was not the case as they started brightly and could have taken the lead in the first minute. Mark Viduka held the ball up for James Morrison who fired in a powerful shot which Brad Friedel pushed away.

Blackburn went in front though after ten minutes thanks to Bellamy. He cut inside Chris Riggot before curling a shot into the bottom corner.

Bellamy was beggining to cause all sorts of problems to a less than pacey Middlesborough back line but Morrsion was also causing Blackburn problems he almost scored with a long range effort before playing in Viduka on 17 minutes who blasted a leveller past Friedel on his near post.

Friedel made amends though moments later by producing a reflex save to keep out Viduka’s close-range header.

Morten Gmast Pedersen then put Rovers back in front on 28 minutes as they searched for their 5th straight win at home. He hit a free kick from the right which flew past Mark Schwazer.

Despite being 2-1 up the referring decisions were not going Rovers way they had to penatly appeals turned down. First Ugo Ehiogu appeared to handle in the area and just before half time he pulled down Sinama Pongolle in the area with nothing given. It got worst in the second half when Savage picked up to bookings in the space of a few minutes. The first foir a late challenge on George Boateng and the second for a deliberate handball.

It looked as though that might prove costly when Morrison broke down the right and cut a ball back for an on rushing Rochenback to drill past Friedel. However bellamy got his Welsh team mate off the hook by curling a ball into the far left corner of the goal from a very difficult angle from the right and side of the penalty area.