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Benni weaves his magic again
24/02/2008 19:42 - (SA)
Blackburn - South African international Benni McCarthy scored two penalties as Blackburn Rovers eased to a 4-1 Premier League win over neighbours Bolton on Sunday.
McCarthy's goals came either side of Kevin Davies' equaliser before David Bentley and Morten Gamst Pedersen added one each to earn Blackburn the three points at Ewood Park.
McCarthy had only scored once this year and that was also from the penalty spot, but he made no mistake to twice drive the ball past Jussi Jaaskelainen.
McCarthy's second, in the 67th minute, came after Davies had levelled just after the interval and Bolton looked the winners, but Bentley's header killed off any hope of another come-back before Pedersen rifled in a fourth in added time.
Blackburn threatened from the kick-off
The two sides could not have had more different preparations, with Blackburn relaxing with a trip to the United States and Bolton scrapping their way to a place in the last 16 of the UEFA Cup with a goalless draw at Atletico Madrid in midweek.
Blackburn threatened straight from the kick-off, with Pedersen pressurising Gretar Steinsson and McCarthy's drive being tipped away by Jaaskelainen after just 10 seconds.
El-Hadji Diouf should have opened the scoring at the other end, but shot straight at Brad Friedel from eight yards after Andy O'Brien and Kevin Davies won headers in the area.
McCarthy was working tirelessly, dropping over to the left flank and after he put the ball past Steinsson, David Dunn carried it into the area only to be clipped by Bolton's Icelandic right-back.
Despite furious claims from Bolton that Steinsson got a touch, referee Mark Clattenburg pointed to the spot and McCarthy slammed the ball down the middle of the goal for his tenth of the season.
The scrappy nature of the game meant that there were few chances but six minutes before the break Kevin Nolan saw an effort come back off the bar.
Chris Samba came up with a weak header that fell for Diouf, who beat the Rovers centre-half before having a low effort blocked by Friedel, only for Nolan's follow-up to bounce away off the woodwork.
Hit the net from close range
A minute before the break, Roque Santa Cruz should have doubled the lead, but headed Brett Emerton's cross wide of the near post.
Three minutes after the restart, Bolton substitute Grzegorz Rasiak had a goal chalked off for offside.
But in the 50th minute, the visitors drew level.
A long free-kick into the box from Matthew Taylor was headed back across goal by Davies but Zurab Khizanishvili's block fell for the Bolton striker to hit the net from close range.
A couple of minutes later, Friedel pulled off another fine stop from a thumping shot from Nolan and Taylor blasted over as the pressure continued.
As Blackburn continued to buckle, Friedel again kept them in the game with a decent low save from Cahill.
But midway through the second half, Blackburn regained the lead against the run of play with another spot-kick.
This time there was little doubt about it as Cahill went straight through Dunn just inside the area and once again McCarthy went for power to put Rovers in front.
Third goal killed the game
And four minutes later, Blackburn made the game safe when Dunn crossed from the left and Bentley squeezed a header inside the far post.
The third goal from Rovers killed the game and Gary Megson withdrew Ivan Campo and Nolan to ensure they were not sent off and Pedersen fired in at the far post from Jason Roberts' cross in added time.
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Rugby
