Rovers advance with stalemate
Mark Hughes will return to the north-west content at a job well done
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Thursday, 23, Nov 2006 10:09
Blackburn Rovers joined fellow English sides Newcastle United and Tottenham in the final 32 of the Uefa Cup with a dogged 0-0 draw away to Feyenoord.
Mark Hughes' men were forced into a valiant rearguard action to ensure that they came away from the De Kuip stadium with their unbeaten Group E record intact as the Dutch side dominated large periods of the match.
The Premiership team's best moments came early on as Shabani Nonda passed up a brace of decent openings.
Strike partner Benni McCarthy combined well with defender Andre Oojer but the Congolese striker failed to exploit the subsequent chance as 'keeper Henk Timmer was able to parry a rushed shot.
Worse was to come when the rangy frontman's header cleared the bar after David Bentley's cross had seemed the perfect invitation to open the scoring.
It seemed that Rovers might well regret that early wastefulness as the hosts quickly established a stranglehold on the game and began to carve out chances.
Angelo Charisteas went clean through on goal only to be denied by the onrushing Brad Friedel and Nicky Hofs just failed to connect with a low cross with the goal at his mercy.
The second half saw little respite from the onslaught as Charisteas' poor first touch denied him a chance to make amends for his earlier miss.
Substitute Ali Boussaboun saw his appeals for a penalty waved away after his cross appeared to have struck Oojer's arm in the box.
Brett Emerton's stinging 30-yard effort was a rare foray forward from the visitors, but in the end a watertight defence proved sufficient to guarantee their continued participation in the competition.