West Ham United 2 Blackburn Rovers 1 - Peter White reports

HENNING Berg makes only rare appearances on the Premiership cast list of goalscorers. But it seems he just can't stop scoring in front of Upton Park's North Stand.

Unfortunately, he did it once too often and this season's grim catalogue of defeats continued for Blackburn Rovers, despite a brave and much better display.

Two and a half years ago, Berg moved forward from defence to head his first-ever Rovers goal in a victory over West Ham which clinched a European place for the first time in the club's history.

Then, in the opening minutes of Saturday's game, standing in the shadows of the same North Stand End, up went the Norwegian for a corner and one swing of his left foot threw the sinking team a lifebelt.

It looked for over an hour that it was going to be a case of Tony S-Parkes another revival.

But the teams changed ends, Hugo Porfirio equalised and, with just six minutes left, Berg's scoring knack turned into a bad habit as he could only head the ball into his own net trying to clear a clever cross. It was a real hammer blow to survival hopes but don't blame the Norwegian. He had to make the decision to go for the cross and, as he ruefully admitted later, when you are in a run like Rovers find themselves, these things invariably go against you.

Rovers supporters would definitely not be surprised to learn that there were just 13 unlucky minutes left when West Ham levelled the scores.

It's been that sort of season.

But I sympathised with them on Saturday.

No-one could have asked for more in terms of commitment.

Parkes freshened things up by aiming for a solid performance with a 4-5-1 formation.

He told me beforehand that it "might not be pretty", but he was hopeful it would be pretty effective.

And, for more than two-thirds of the game, it was definitely that, as the plan seemed to be going to perfection, thanks to the players' willingness to make it work. A goal ahead on nine minutes, they frustrated West Ham to such a degree that the home team did not manage a shot on target until the 69th minute when a long range effort from Michael Hughes forced the save of the game from Tim Flowers!

To do that to a team who had just won two home games in the previous seven days was quite a feat.

And it should have been better.

For, immediately after that save, Rovers went down the other end for George Donis to create the best opening of the match for Jason Wilcox.

He had time and space and surely only had to hit the target. But the shot flew over the bar and West Ham clutched gratefully at the lifeline.

The result was a bitter blow but, as Parkes stressed afterwards, the only way Rovers are going to get out of their present predicament is by showing the sort of character and fighting spirit they displayed at Upton Park.

It's perhaps significant for a team with one of the best disciplinary records in the Premiership, that they had five men booked and conceded a host of free kicks. That's not to condone dirty play, but it does show how they battled.

A couple were unlucky to be cautioned and if the referee had shown the same consistency in the penalty area -- and for both teams -- Rovers would surely have had a spot kick at 1-1 when Tim Sherwood was fouled by Tim Breacker when he seemed a certain scorer at the far post.

But, that's what happens when you are at the bottom. Rovers are finding out how the other half live.

The finale was such a stark contrast to the opening half. Rovers rang the changes and welcomed back Graeme Le Saux for his first game since last December. He can be delighted with his comeback, Nicky Marker -- as usual -- did well, and Graham Fenton was a tireless worker going solo up front.

But, apart from Le Saux -- booked for a foul in the fourth minute! -- the big success story was the tenacious Billy McKinlay who had an excellent game anchoring midfield, just in front of the back four. The first half was a non-event for West Ham who were hopeless and simply couldn't fathom what to do.

Rovers didn't achieve much more in attack themselves but they were rock solid and they did score.

Wilcox swung in a corner, Sherwood glanced it on with his head and Berg swept the ball in by the back post from six or seven yards.

The luxury of a lead was to last a long time -- until those fateful final 13 minutes when a vastly-improved home team made the pressure tell.

Their equaliser was well worked and taken as Iain Dowie just stayed onside, chasing to the right of goal. With time, he measured his low cross perfectly into the path of Porfirio, once an Ewood trialist, and the Portuguese forward smacked it high into the net.

You could sense that West Ham had the scent of victory and, when Stan Lazarides managed to flight a fast, swerving cross into the box, Berg, facing his own goal, had no option but to try to intercept.

He dived forward, got his head to the ball and it flew spectacularly into the top corner.

Yet they didn't give up and, in a frantic finish, came desperately close to what would have been a deserved equaliser.

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