Blackburn blew a gift-wrapped chance to overtake Everton in the race for
Europe after being held at home by already-relegated West Brom.
Three points would have seen Rovers go sixth with Everton losing to Fulham,
but Albion had other ideas and Graeme Souness' side paid the price for taking
victory for granted.
It all looked to be plain sailing for Blackburn when Damien Duff raced through
to score in the 10th minute but Rovers failed to push home their advantage and
had little cause for complaint when Jason Koumas scored a classy equaliser early
in the second half.
Koumas was head and shoulders above his outfield team-mates in terms of
quality, but they showed stout enough hearts to suggest they could make an
immediate return to the top flight.
Certainly, the Premiership will be a duller place without West Brom's fans,
who arrived in large numbers with many of them kitted out in a referee's strip,
and bearing outsize red and yellow cards, in a light-hearted protest at their
side's treatment by match officials over the season.
There was also a raucous conga mid-match, led by an impressive fancy-dress
giraffe, which even had the Rovers crowd applauding.
The Albion fans were in good voice from the off and the volume increased when
Koumas forced a good save out of Brad Friedel, showing just why he had been
awarded the Blackburn player of the year trophy before kick-off.
Blackburn took time to get into their stride but skipper Garry Flitcroft upped
the tempo at a corner with a powerful near-post header a foot too high.
Lucas Neill built on that, sending a 40-yard pass over the defence, Duff beat
the offside trap and ran on before finishing low across Hoult into the far
corner.
James Chambers had to look sharp to deny Andy Cole after David Dunn's
ingenious lobbed pass, before the West Brom fans were howling and waving their
cards at an appalling offside decision when Jason Roberts had a free run on
goal.
Danny Dichio had several sniffs at goal, using his height to win the high
balls, but he was unable to test Friedel properly.
Albion continued to press, Andy Johnson blasting high from 30 yards, then Todd
was lucky not to be sent off when he dragged Roberts back. Referee Rob Styles
just cautioned the centre-back, though he was the last defender, to widespread
disgust in the away end.
Two minutes into the second half, Duff made connection with a diving header to
meet McEveley's cross but the Irish winger was a yard wide of the foot of the
post.
Neil Clement wasted a free-kick from a good position but Koumas immediately
showed the value of positive thinking with an excellent equaliser.
From the moment he won a challenge with Flitcroft and set off upfield it was
clear there was only one thing on his mind. The midfielder outpaced Todd and
struck a powerful low drive which deflected off the diving Neill's leg and over
Friedel.
That equaliser may have been unlikely but Albion should have gone ahead in
their next attack. Johnson's ball split the defence, Roberts was one-on-one with
Friedel but the Blackburn keeper did magnificently to force the striker wide and
then parry his shot.
Dwight Yorke came on for the ineffective Hakan Sukur and nearly had an
immediate impact, taking down Friedel's long clearance expertly then playing a
sideways ball that Flitcroft was just about to ram home when Lyttle produced a
desperate but effective sliding tackle.
Another raking pass from the left by McEveley gave Yorke a glimpse of goal but
Hoult managed to block only to see the loose ball roll to Dunn. The net was
empty and Ewood Park waited to cheer but somehow he sliced wide from 12 yards.
Cole set up the unmarked Nils-Eric Johansson but the substitute's side-footed
effort looked more of a pass to Hoult than a serious attempt on goal.
There was frantic finish but no more goals as Roberts drove wide after a
dashing run, Craig Hignett landed a free-kick on top of the net, then the same
player flicked a header over the bar.
Teams:
Blackburn: Friedel, Neill, Todd, Martin Taylor,
McEveley (Johansson 70), Dunn, Flitcroft (Hignett 66), Tugay,
Duff, Cole, Sukur (Yorke 60).
Subs Not Used: Ostenstad, Kelly.
Booked: Todd, Cole.
Goals: Duff 11.
West Brom: Hoult, Wallwork, Gregan, James Chambers, Lyttle,
McInnes, Johnson, Koumas, Clement, Roberts, Dichio (Dobie 82).
Subs Not Used: Balis, Hughes, Udeze, Murphy.
Booked: Johnson.
Goals: Koumas 54.
Att: 27,470
Ref: R Styles (Hampshire).
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