Fulham 3 - 0 Blackburn Rovers

Dempsey double boosts Fulham

Updated: November 26, 2009, 8:16 AM UK

Fulham returned to winning ways as Clint Dempsey's double helped them to a 3-0 win as Blackburn failed to provide Sam Allardyce with another Premier League victory during his absence for heart surgery.

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Rovers boss Allardyce is scheduled have an operation on a coronary artery and could be back next week - and despite the scoreline he is certain to highlight the clash at Craven Cottage as a missed opportunity.

Rovers goalkeeper Paul Robinson did not have a save to make until Erik Nevland squeezed a finish in at the near post after 43 minutes, and the game was still up for grabs until Dempsey tapped in with 23 minutes remaining. He then grabbed his second before the end meaning the visitors failed to build on their win over Bolton at the weekend.

After three matches without a victory, Fulham moved above their opponents and into the top half of the table, although maximum points looked unlikely during a first half short on quality.

Blackburn had not lost to Fulham since 2005 and within two minutes they had a chance to claim an early advantage.

Keith Andrews, a replacement as Brett Emerton had a knee injury, weighted a ball through the home defence, Franco di Santo got on the wrong side of Aaron Hughes but Mark Schwarzer stood up well and blocked the finish.

Fulham's response was a direct move that saw Bobby Zamora hold the ball up, Damien Duff cross to the far post and Dempsey head wide while under pressure from Blackburn's physically imposing defenders.

It was hardly inspiring play from either team, both sending long balls forward that amounted to nothing.

Jason Roberts at least created one chance when he brought a punt down, with El-Hadji Diouf crossing and Di Santo stabbing over.

Di Santo also failed to get power on a close-range header after David Dunn's free-kick was nodded into the danger area - but it was not much to warm up the freezing fans at Fulham's stadium by the Thames.

The supporters tried to liven things up with a hopeful penalty shout when Ryan Nelsen chested the ball in his area, but referee Stuart Attwell waved play on and there were no complaints from Fulham players.

Roberts tried his luck with a turn and shot, although Schwarzer saved easily. The Rovers striker also curled wide just before the opener.

Nevland's goal came two minutes before the break and was totally at odds with the 43 before it.

Zamora sparked the slick move by backheeling to his strike partner, Nevland then exchanged passes with Duff before setting his sights from the right side of the area.

Robinson had not been required to save up to that point - and he would have been disappointed with Nevland's finish going in at the near post for the Norwegian's second of the season.

Encouraged by their unexpected lead, Dempsey could have doubled the advantage three minutes after the restart when Jonathan Greening swung over a free-kick. But the American headed wide.

Chris Baird, anchoring the midfield rather than in defence, forced Robinson into his first save of the match with a 25-yard shot in the 57th minute, after he had turned sharply away from Vince Grella.

Rovers attempted to force an equaliser with a set-piece that Di Santo headed just wide - but that was his final contribution as Neil McDonald, in charge while Allardyce is away, changed both of his strikers.

Roberts also came off, with Nikola Kalinic and Benny McCarthy coming on, but Fulham struck straight after the double swap.

Duff ran at full-back Pascal Chimbonda and curled in a cross that split the Blackburn defence and allowed Dempsey to tap in.

Nevland raced through but finished wide when most of the ground thought he had added a third, while at the other end Kalinic was guilty of a blatant dive in the penalty area but did not fool Attwell.

Dempsey's second came just before the final whistle. He collected Simon Davies' cross at the near post, held off Andrews and slotted past Robinson.

Hodgson wishes Big Sam well

Fulham boss Roy Hodgson believes Sam Allardyce will still be pleased with his Blackburn team when he returns from heart surgery despite getting beaten 3-0 at Craven Cottage.

Hodgson said: "His team didn't do my blood pressure any favours. I wish him well and he must be proud how is team is playing. Apparently red wine is good for the heart and I look forward to having a glass with him up at Blackburn later in the season.

"The first 40 minutes was not the sort of game you like to watch because the ball was all up in the air. We hoped to get the ball down but credit to Blackburn because they kept us pinned down and stopped us doing what we wanted to do.

"Fortunately, we had the fight and character to stay in the game and then we had one moment in the first half where we scored a good goal.''

Neil McDonald, standing in for Allardyce, felt it was a missed opportunity.

"I thought the first half was played some really good stuff,'' he said. "We should have scored in the first minute but we didn't take that chance. Then there was some poor defending for the three goals all in all.

"The only chance they had in the first half they stuck into the back of the net. They were a bit more clinical than we were and that's why they went in front at half-time.

"Second half from our point of view we huffed and puffed a bit, but there was no real end product and we are all disappointed with the way that they scored the other couple of goals. Sam will be bitterly disappointed because we have lost the game.''

Hodgson was not satisfied entirely with the performance and felt his side were jaded.

"We are tired, there is an element of that but having said that we are all playing three matches,'' he said. "We have to make sure we can deal with that problem and get ourselves back to our energetic selves.''