BBC SPORT | Football | Eng Prem | Blackburn stun Leeds

Blackburn 1-0 Leeds

Blackburn notched their first home win of the season thanks to a goal from midfielder Garry Flitcroft against Leeds at Ewood Park.

Flitcroft struck after 24 minutes when he converted a Keith Gillespie cross for his first goal since last October.

An off-form Leeds should have levelled through an Alan Smith penalty in the second-half but the England striker saw Brad Friedel save his 12-yard shot.

Leeds striker Alan Smith
Smith misses his 66th minute penalty

Leeds pressed for an equaliser to make for an exciting finale but manager Graeme Souness' side held out for an unlikely, but deserved, win.

Blackburn were the home side but mainly played on the counter-attack because of injuries to strikers Andy Cole, Dwight Yorke and Matt Jansen.

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Italian forward Corrado Grabbi was even struggling with a calf injury and was on the bench with Egil Ostenstad operating as a lone striker.

But Blackburn made light of their injury troubles in the first half when they were the better side.

Right-winger Keith Gillespie was particularly effective for the Ewood Park outfit along with influential midfielder David Thompson.

At 11 o'clock this morning Garry Flitcroft, Craig Short and David Thompson all passed late fitness tests

Blackburn boss Graeme Souness

Thompson was narrowly wide with a free-kick before Garry Flitcroft gave the home side the lead.

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Gillespie was the provider after he beat Leeds left-back Ian Harte and then crossed from the by-line for Flitcroft to shoot home from 14 yards.

Blackburn's David Thompson (left) and Leeds Lucas Radebe
Thompson (left) was superb for Blackburn

Leeds were struggling to find any rhythm and needed keeper Paul Robinson to pull off an excellent save from a Thompson strike to stop them going further behind.

At the other end, Blackburn stopper Friedel was forced into an equally important save early in the second half to deny Nick Barmby.

But Blackburn were always a threat and, after Thompson had a goal disallowed, he struck the Leeds woodwork with a free-kick.

The Blackburn midfielder was peppering the Leeds goal and brought another fine save from Robinson with a 30-yard shot.

A triple Leeds substitution gave them the upper hand as they searched for an equaliser and they should have levelled after 66 minutes.

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Leeds manager Terry Venables

Blackburn defender Henning Berg was penalised for a hand-ball but Smith could not convert the resultant spot-kick, which Friedel saved.

Leeds had Blackburn on the back-foot from there on and Smith saw Friedel again deny him a goal from a header.

An equaliser proved elusive for the visitors against a determined Blackburn as Leeds went down to their third league defeat of the season.

Watch a round-up of the weekend's action

Blackburn: Friedel, Neill, Berg, Taylor, Short, Thompson, Flitcroft, Tugay, Dunn (Danns 90), Gillespie, Ostenstad (Grabbi 68).

Subs Not Used: Hignett, Johansson, Kelly.

Booked: Neill.

Goals: Flitcroft 24.

Leeds: Robinson, Mills, Woodgate, Radebe, Harte (Kelly 64), Bakke, Dacourt (McPhail 63), Bowyer, Barmby, Viduka (McMaster 63), Smith.

Subs Not Used: Okon, Martyn.

Booked: Smith, Barmby.

Attendance: 25,415.

Referee: G Poll (Hertfordshire).


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