West Ham 2 Rovers 1

HARRY Redknapp was the calmest figure on view at Upton Park as he apparently believes his West Ham team have reached Dover in terms of the chase for European places, writes PETER WHITE.

And, with their impressive home record, it could just be a case of waiting for the next ferry to come along.

In stark contrast, Blackburn Rovers boss Roy Hodgson wore the haunted look of a man who had just run a mile in under four minutes - only to see the last Eurostar train steaming out of the station and heading for the Channel tunnel without him.

The difference in the two managers and their immediate prospects was understandable after another enthralling clash between these well-matched teams.

Redknapp knows what he can count on from his side, certainly at Upton Park, and it will probably clinch them a cross-Channel package trip next season.

Rovers, on the other hand, are the great unreliables and must have Hodgson wondering whether he is coming or going.

One half it's like watching Doncaster in disguise, the next 45 minutes it's as though the good old days of before Christmas are back.

Saturday's game was a cameo of their season, albeit in reverse.

Few problems until the end of January, but downhill all the way since - relegation form and a few grateful prayers of thanks for the points already accumulated.

At Upton Park, for well over half an hour, Rovers were as bad as their recent record suggests.

West Ham could have repeated the Arsenal defeat against a defence that was too often nowhere to be seen.

The light was on but there didn't seem to be anybody in, as the Hammers threatened a rout.

Quicker, stronger, more decisive, they were in a different class.

It was largely thanks to one man that it turned completely round, only for Rovers to frustratingly fritter away the chances they had worked so hard to create. That man was Jason Wilcox, playing his last match before starting a two-game ban.

He was magnificent when the wheels were coming off again. As an attacker, or defender, Wilcox was super-charged, thoroughly deserved his goal and gave Rovers a ray of hope when a real hiding was on the cards.

It is impossible to understand just what has gone wrong defensively.

Don't blame goalkeeper Alan Fettis who had no chance with the two West Ham goals and made a couple of brilliant saves.

It was in front of him where Rovers were caught out. They were all over the place for the first goal, and could easily have conceded a couple more before standing around ball-watching as John Hartson ghosted in for the second.

Hodgson used the word "abominable" to describe the first-half defending.

I thought that was normally a description of mysterious snowmen - but it was entirely appropriate for statues in these circumstances.

Hartson, of course, is a handful for anybody and had done the crucial damage before Rovers finally got to grips with him in a vastly-improved second half.

West Ham were at the top of their attacking game, Rovers at the bottom of theirs defensively, yet how it all changed thanks to Wilcox's reply just on the interval whistle.

To go in only 2-l down after what Redknapp rightly described as a "mauling" was very fortunate.

But there was an incredible transformation and both Kevin Gallacher and substitute Martin Dahlin had great chances to snatch the point that could have made all the difference.

The defenders failed in the first half, the strikers in the second.

To come so close to any reward was remarkable after Rovers had been given a right going over in the opening half hour of a game that was fiercely competitive but played in a good spirit. And it was also excellently handled by Paul Durkin.

Even he must have winced, however, as Rovers were ripped apart so easily in West Ham's first attack.

Patrick Valery had gone forward to support a foray which broke down and Rio Ferdinand immediately played a lovely ball into oceans of space on the right for Eyal Berkovic.

He cut inside and spotted Hartson, who had lost his marker. The pull back was perfect, so was the well-struck low finish.

Berkovic then missed two good openings and Hartson's header forced a brilliant save from Fettis.

But, following the corner, Stan Lazaridis lofted in a cross and Hartson just ran through a static defence to sweep in the second.

A minute from half time, Rovers grabbed a goal out of the blue.

Wilcox, working feverishly, caught Ian Pearce in possession on Rovers' left, took a return pass from Gallacher to go clear and the shot had to be inch perfect to beat the impressive Bernard Lama.

It was and went in off the far post.

The game turned upside down after the break though Fettis had to make late saves from Frank Lampard and the rather anonymous Trevor Sinclair.

Before that, however, it was all Rovers.

Gallacher shot just wide from Tim Sherwood's pass and, as the pressure increased, Rovers' other sub Dahlin was a couple of inches away from connecting with a superb Wilcox cross.

Colin Hendry had a header pushed over, Sherwood was just too high then, a minute from time, Dahlin forced Lama to a great save but Gallacher put the rebound over when he should have scored.

There was still time for Dahlin to go clean through only to let the West Ham defence head him off.

A frustrating finish which leaves Rovers in the equivalent of the European doghouse. Four games to go and it's down to them to show which of the two contrasting sides we have seen this season - and again on Saturday - is truly representative.

Will the real Blackburn Rovers please stand up?

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