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Sunday April 13, 2008; National Premier League Blackburn Rovers Ladies 1 Chelsea Ladies 2 Blackburn: S.Payne, J.Eadie, N.Brewer, N.Twohig, N.Harding, D.Campbell (E.McDougall 45), L.Shepherd, N.Preston, K.Burke, K.Anderton, L.Penny (K.Hanson 78). Chelsea: S.Chamberlain, S.Larkin, C.Stoney, L.Fair, E.Delves, K.Davies, K.Owen (L.Cooper 45), L.Edwards, E.White, E.Aluko, C.Rafferty (D.Buet 45). With only a couple of points seperating these two teams in the league table the outcome of this game was obviously going to be crucial as to which team would finish the season in the higher position. As the sides lined up for kick off Chelsea looked a noticeably bigger team and they started the game looking eager to impose themselves on their hosts. Ellen White flicked on a drop kick from Siobhan Chamberlain and raced forward to take a return pass from Katie Owen but then shot wide of the near post with Eni Aluko waiting in the centre for a square ball. Blackburn's first effort on goal was hopeful with Lynda Shepherd presenting Chamberlain with an easy save from thirty yards but the early momentum was with Chelsea who threatened when Aluko slid a clever ball into Clare Rafferty, breaking down the side of the box, and her cross was fumbled dangerously by Sian Payne who was relieved to grab hold at the second attempt. Having weathered this early squall Blackburn emerged to enjoy their best spell of the first half. The one area where Chelsea did not look that big was, unusually, in the centre of defence and the home side began to enjoy some success with balls played in behind and down the sides of Emma Delves and Kylie Davies. Nicky Harding arrowed two excellent passes forward in quick succession from left back to put her side on the attack. The first one found Katie Anderton unmarked but the strikers' control was faulty and denied her a clear run on goal. Anderton then caught up with the ball near the goalline but, having cut back inside a defender, shot wastefully from a prohibitive angle with colleagues better placed. When Harding produced another telling through ball Casey Stoney's tentative clearance created its' own danger but again the opportunity was spoiled by an overly ambitious shot, this time by Karen Burke. As the game began to really open up both sides were frustrated by dubious offside calls within the space of a minute and then it needed a fine challenge from Davies to halt a break by Levi Penny. Blackburn were unable to maintain the momentum they had built up and the rest of the first half was dominated by the visitors. Lizzie Edwards made her first serious contribution with a strong run out of defence which was matched by a sweeping pass out to White on the right wing but her intended pass to Aluko was poor and the chance lost. Aluko did then receive excellent service from Rafferty and a lovely first touch on the thigh set the speedy forward up for a run at Nicky Twohig but the Rovers centre half was equal to the challenge and stopped Aluko in her tracks. In general, however, this was an isolated triumph for the Blackburn defence who struggled throughout to curb the darting runs of Aluko. Twohig, a clean striker of the ball, was also providing intermittent hope to her forwards with her long passes out of defence and Anderton looked likely to go clear from one of these only for Delves to intervene with a perfectly timed challenge. The most debatable offside decision yet stopped Rafferty in her tracks after a clever flick through by White but the goal that Chelsea were looking increasingly likely to score then duly arrived. Blackburn sent players forward for a free kick but when this was cleared they were immediately stretched in defence. Twohig lunged forward to challenge White but the forward was favourite and skipped away from the tackle before feeding Aluko who left Jayne Eadie for dead before easily rounding Payne and shooting into an empty net. The Blackburn defence looked liable to collapse at any moment at this stage and Eadie was soon left stranded again as White went past her out wide before drilling a centre into the near post where Rafferty arrived at the perfect moment but could only poke her shot wide. The home defence then somehow escaped after a catalogue of errors in Chelsea's next attack. Twohig sent an intended headed clearance back towards her own goal, Payne came out to punch but got no distance whatsoever and when Aluko sent a shot goalwards Eadie was in position to clear but struck the ball straight at Rafferty and was hugely relieved to see the ball lob wide of the empty net. It was hard to see the Blackburn defence avoiding further damage, however, especially as there was absolutely no weight whatsoever being taken off them at this stage as Chelsea completely dominated the midfield areas. Aluko, Rafferty and White linked for a lovely move which ended with a shot that was well blocked by the lunging Harding but the seemingly inevitable second goal arrived with ten minutes remaining to the interval. Rafferty robbed the unhappy Eadie and carried the ball down the left flank before squaring a low ball into the centre. It looked as though the cross was too close to Payne but the Rovers keeper was not decisive enough and lost the ball under challenge from the eager Ellen White. With both players horizontal the ball fell kindly for the attacker who sent the ball into an empty net from her prone position. The question now was whether Rovers would be able to reach half time without conceding again and they just about managed this. White was soon going round Payne again but this time in a wide position and Natalie Brewer was able to get back and intercept the shot. With half time beckoning Blackburn finally managed to work another move with Anderton and Burke combining but the final shot, from Lynda Shepherd, was weak and bobbled harmlessly wide of the post from just outside the box. Overall it was hard to quibble with the visitors' two goal lead. Half Time: Blackburn Rovers Ladies 0 Chelsea Ladies 2 There would be three changes made at half time with Chelsea, somewhat surprisingly, making two of these. Laura Cooper and Danielle Buet came on in place of Owen and Rafferty while Blackburn withdrew Denise Campbell and brought on Emma McDougall. It was the Rovers replacement who made her presence felt first when she claimed possession inside the Chelsea half before feeding Shepherd whose ambitious shot was well wide from distance. McDougall was looking a lively customer, however, and this seemed to transmit itself to the rest of the Blackburn side and for ten minutes or so they had Chelsea penned back inside their own half. Karen Burke offered Penny the chance to break forward with a subtle touch and the striker was unlucky to see her dipping shot just clear the bar after neatly evading a challenge. Blackburn then won a corner which drifted beyond a couple of attackers before reaching Anderton, lurking around the edge of the box, but she sliced her effort well wide of the target. This was much better from the home side and they then came within inches of one of the goals of the season. Penny began the move with some clever play in the centre before slipping the ball out to McDougall on the left. The diminutive winger was faced by Sian Larkin but was beyond her in the blinking of an eye and racing for goal. From just over twenty yards out McDougall unleashed a shot that had Chamberlain beaten but scraped the top of the bar on its' way over. McDougall had demonstrated the threat she carried and would continue to offer Rovers their best outlet but the home side either did not realise this fact or were simply unable to feed her as consistently as they needed to and her influence was frustratingly sporadic from this moment on. Lizzie Edwards led a Celsea counter attack that almost put the issue beyond doubt. Edwards carried the ball out of defence and over halfway before supplying Aluko who went to the bye-line to cut the ball back into the Rovers area. The defence managed to half clear the ball but when it fell into the path of White she drilled in a low drive that was destined for the far corner until Payne managed to tip the ball behind at full stretch and keep her side in contention. The corner brought another effort on goal as Stoney sent in a cushioned volley from the edge of the area but this clever attempt was always slightly too high. McDougall set Anderton running at the Chelsea defence as Rovers regained the intiative and the Rovers striker might well have gone down earlier under a dubious challenge from Larkin. When Anderton did finally hit the deck, with the chance gone, she got no sympathy from the referee. Players are always encouraged to stay on their feet by fans and pundits but it is seldom to their benefit to do so. Referees will often wait for an advantage but then pull play back for a free kick outside the penalty area but are never brave enough to do the same inside the box. Blackburn had certainly done enough since half time to feel they deserved to get back into the game and with the hour mark approaching they managed to do so. Shepherd played a good ball over the top for Anderton to run onto in the inside left position and the prolific scorer showed the quality of her finishing with a blistering left footed drive across Chamberlain into the far corner. The goal was no more than Blackburn deserved and they continued to press in search of an equaliser. Natalie Preston sent in a teasing ball which saw Anderton challenging Chamberlain in the air and the Chelsea keeper was a little fortunate to be able to claim the ball at the second attempt. Anderton was the source of danger again shortly afterwards when she latched onto a long free kick from Twohig but this time her cross shot from the right hand side of the area flashed just wide of the far post. Slowly but surely, however, Chelsea began to ride out this storm and would emerge as the stronger side as the second half progressed but the game remained on a knife edge while they were only one goal to the good. Aluko was offered a clear chance to give the visitors breathing space when flicks by Lorrie Fair and White sent her through but the finish was weak and easily saved by Payne. Then it was good work from Aluko that resulted in a chance for Fair but her shot from twenty yards cleared the bar. There was sudden danger at the other end when another ball over the top caught out the Chelsea defence. The ball fell to McDougall who was clear of the defence and in position to run through on goal. The Rovers players are almost conditioned into giving the ball to Anderton at every opportunity, however, and that is exactly what McDougall did now. The offside flag that went up immediately seemed an inevitable consequence of the decision to pass and Anderton's clinical finish was rendered irrelevent. The game was becoming increasingly open but the play was now heading towards the Blackburn goal almost constantly as Chelsea looked to put the game to bed. Danielle Buet released White through the centre of the Blackburn defence but her attempted lob over Payne was feeble and presented the Rovers keeper with a simple save. Then when Buet sent in a fierce centre White flung herself headlong to connect with a dramatic diving header but could not direct her effort inside the far post. Then it was Aluko's turn to try and lob Payne after racing through onto Stoney's pass but although she got the required height her shot lacked direction and dropped the wrong side of the post. Tricky play by Buet cutting inside from the right then offered Aluko another chanced to seal victory and this time it needed a diving save from Payne to keep the contest alive. McDougall led a Rovers counter which ended with Levi Penny being brought down for a free kick some twenty five yards from goal but Anderton's shot from the set piece flew way over the crossbar and as the minutes ticked away Blackburn found it impossible to fashion any further chances. Laura Cooper squandered a good chance from Buet's knock down with a weak shot straight at Payne and the final minutes were mainly spent with Chelsea deep inside Rovers territory counting down the clock. Overall there was no denying that Chelsea were good value for their win but it was a pity Rovers had been so poor before half time. If they had played as well before the break as they did after it then this game would have been an absolute belter. As it was it was still a hugely enjoyable contest only slightly spoiled by the annoying behaviour of the Chelsea substitutes bench during much of the first half and some of the second. The manic "cheerleading" in which they indulged seemed somewhat insulting and possibly antagonistic to the Blackburn side and hardly reflected any credit on their own club. Full Time: Blackburn Rovers Ladies 1 Chelsea Ladies 2 Star Player: Ellen White This was by no means a cut and dried decision but Chelsea generally looked a stronger, faster side than Blackburn and nobody epitomised this more than the imposing White.
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