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Blackburn Rovers 2-0 Portsmouth
Match Reports, 17:19, May 9, 2009 ,
Blackburn secured their Premiership status for another season as they defeated a poor Pompey side 2-0 at Ewood Park.
Both sides started the game with the ideology of hitting long balls to Peter Crouch and make shift striker Chris Samba respectively, and it was the latter who had a hand in the first goal on the half-hour mark.
Samba received the ball, controlled it on his chest and turned to shoot on goal. The effort wasn't fully dealt with by David James, and left Morten Gamst Pedersen to convert from close range and notch his first goal of the season.
The goal was the only bright moment of an otherwise dull first half, however, Rovers then doubled their lead near the hour mark.
Hermann Hreidarsson was at fault as he was rightfully penalised for handball inside the box. Benni McCarthy slotted home from 12 yards and the game was seemingly over.
Portsmouth spent the majority of the game on the back foot, and the choice of Crouch as a lone striker was ineffective. Pompey's best chance of an otherwise poor performance came with five minutes remaining, when John Utaka hit his penalty attempt high and wide.