Chris Samba and Ryan Nelsen helped Blackburn Rovers

Blackburn Rovers 2
- Samba 25,
- Nelsen 54

Fulham 0
Chris Samba and Ryan Nelsen helped Blackburn Rovers

In a match where the home side were second best for long periods, two set-piece goals either side of half-time sunk Roy Hodgson's men. Chris Samba scored the first, before Ryan Nelsen doubled the lead in the second half.

Nelsen applied the lightest of touches to Benni McCarthy's 54th-minute free-kick to double Rovers' lead, defender Chris Samba having opened the scoring with a fortuitous 24th-minute ricochet from an attempted clearance by Damien Duff.

The Blackburn manager used the word "pressure" repeatedly when discussing his first victory since his former club ­Bolton were beaten on a November afternoon when he was enduring a heart-related operation. Then, running his head through his hands, Allardyce went through all the near misses he had suffered in the weeks that followed.

Fulham pressed in ragged fashion, with Robinson holding a shot from Zoltan Gera then Samba booting clear from the six-yard box after Johnson drew out Robinson.

Searching for a goal of his own after two crisp assists, McCarthy fired a long-range free-kick just over, then turned provider again to set up Kalinic who stumbled on the edge of the box.