Blackburn's first-half blitz proved just enough as they fought off a Preston
comeback to win a superb Lancashire derby at Ewood Park.
Rovers' fifth league win in six games moves Graeme Souness' men back up to
third place in the First Division.
Two goals from Matt Jansen sandwiching a Mark Hughes' header appeared to have
wrapped up the game for the hosts within 18 minutes as they overran a lacklustre
North End outfit.
But David Moyes' men, who have slipped to ninth in the league after a
promising start, responded stirringly after the break through Jonathan Macken
and a David Healy penalty and could have snatched an unlikely point.
The first league clash between these two sides for almost 20 years was a
classic almost from the first whistle.
Rovers' opening goal was also their best. Jansen, already with three strikes
in his last four games, rode one Preston challenge on the right and then curled
a superb left-footed ball through Sean Gregan's legs and wide of goalkeeper
David Lucas.
The 23-year-old's 11th of the season had clearly given Souness' men a taste
for goal and for the next 15 minutes they attacked relentlessly.
In the eighth minute Stig Inge Bjornebye released the impressive Jansen down
the left flank and without pausing he delivered a perfect cross for Hughes, who
doubled Rovers' advantage with his head from five yards.
Incessant forward play followed, with Jansen in particular again going close,
and in the 18th minute the hosts looked to have sealed the game with their
third.
A Rovers corner was headed on to an unmarked Jansen by Martin Taylor and the
striker headed home with ease from six yards.
Souness had declared before the game that Rovers' season started now and it
seemed as if his players were taking that literally.
Certainly the freshness in Rovers' first-half performance belied a hectic
Christmas schedule and perhaps they are looking the best equipped side to mount
a push for the second automatic promotion place behind Fulham.
The home side began the second half in a similar vein to the first and
Jansen's persistence after 51 minutes almost led to a hat-trick, but his
eventual long shot was well over the crossbar.
After 54 minutes came a glimmer of light for the Lilywhites with Macken
holding off Bjornebye to flick past Brad Friedel in the Rovers goal.
On the hour mark Jansen, again proving tricky on the left, created enough
space for a powerful shot that Lucas could only just afford to leave for a
goal-kick.
But despite Rovers still dominating possession, North End took a further step
back into the game after 73 minutes when Mark Rankine earned a penalty after a
foul by John Curtis.
Healy, Preston's recent £1.5million capture from Manchester United, stepped up
and drove just inside Friedel's right-hand post.
The visitors strove desperately for an equaliser but in doing so left gaps in
defence that should have enabled Jansen to complete his treble just before the
end.
Teams
Blackburn: Friedel, Curtis, Taylor, Bjornebye, Berg,
Duff (Mahon 82), Flitcroft, Dunn, Hignett, Jansen,
Hughes (Bent 66).
Subs Not Used: Kenna, Douglas, Filan.
Goals: Jansen 6, Hughes 9, Jansen 19.
Preston: Lucas, Parkinson (Murdock 25), Kidd (McBride 71),
Jackson, Gregan, Cartwright, McKenna (Barry-Murphy 71),
Appleton, Rankine, Healy, Macken.
Subs Not Used: Robinson, Moilanen.
Booked: Kidd.
Goals: Macken 54, Healy 73 pen.
Att: 23,983
Ref: D Laws (Whitley Bay).
E-mail Article 
Print-Friendly
Subscribe to RSS Feed 
Post to del.icio.us
Facebook