Graeme Souness saw his Blackburn side twice fight back from a goal down to earn a point at Fulham.

The former Rangers and Liverpool boss, in charge of Rovers for the first time at Craven Cottage, had David Dunn and Keith Gillespie to thank for a share of the spoils.

Fulham missed a penalty and gifted the visitors two equalisers after they had twice taken the lead.

With both sides aiming for a play-off position a draw was a result that neither wanted.

Fulham took the lead in the 18th minute when Barry Hayles, cutting in from the left, suddenly let fly from an acute angle and beat the surprised Alan Kelly to find the roof of the net.

Blackburn's equaliser came in the 38th minute when Dunn took a pot shot from 30 yards that Fulham goalkeeper Maik Taylor allowed to go under his body into the net.

The Londoners might have had a 2-1 half-time lead but Karlheinz Riedle's 12th minute penalty had been well-saved by Kelly, diving to his left.

The spot-kick was given when Darren Peacock upended the German international as he cut into the area.

The second half began at a greater tempo with some fierce challenges flying in from both sides.

The Londoners gradually regained the ascendancy and were rewarded when Riedle made amends for his earlier miss by heading home a Bjarne Goldbaek cross in the 75th minute.

That ought to have sewn it up but 10 minutes later Taylor punched the ball out to Keith Gillespie and stood and watched as the winger lobbed it into the goal from 25 yards.

Souness will have been cheered by his side's resolve but less impressed by the weaknesses in their defence.

Had it not been for Kelly, Rovers would have lost.

Apart from his penalty save he made a series of fine stops, one from Steve Hayward that he tipped over the bar in the 70th minute was outstanding.

His display was a complete contrast to the unfortunate Taylor who had a game he will want to forget.

Teams:

Fulham: Taylor, Melville, Coleman, Morgan, Finnan, Ball, Hayward, Clark (Davis 77), Goldbaek, Hayles, Riedle.

Subs Not Used: Hahnemann, Symons, Lewis, Trollope.

Booked: Ball.

Goals: Hayles 18, Riedle 75.

Blackburn:Kelly, Flitcroft, Duff, Peacock, Dunn, Short, Harkness, Frandsen, Grayson (Jansen 80), Gillespie, Ostenstad.

Subs Not Used: Miller, Johnson, Davidson, Dailly.

Booked: Frandsen.

Goals: Dunn 38, Gillespie 85.

Att: 15,108

Ref: M Jones (Chester).