Blackburn sink Everton

Grabbi beats Everton's Xavier for Blackburn's opener

Blackburn Rovers 1-0 Everton

Corrado Grabbi broke his scoring duck for Blackburn Rovers to send Everton crashing to a fourth successive defeat.

Italian Grabbi - a £6.7m summer signing from Ternana - has stuggled to hit the target in the Premiership.

But he rewarded Blackburn boss Graeme Souness's faith with a first-half goal that put his side on the path to victory.

We have to regard ourselves as lucky - and it's about time

Blackburn manager Graeme Souness

Everton will regret wasting plenty of possession - and also a first-half penalty from Duncan Ferguson that was saved by Blackburn keeper Brad Friedel.

Everton dominated the early exchanges, with Paul Gascoigne revelling in his first league start since November.

Walter Smith's side thought they had a penalty after 17 minutes when Damien Duff up-ended Ferguson, but referee Graham Barber ignored Everton's appeals.

Everton were awarded a spot-kick after 27 minutes when Niclas Alexandersson was fouled by Stig Bjornebye.

Souness backed Grabbi

But Blackburn goalkeeper Friedel, who had earlier saved brilliantly from Ferguson's header, was the hero again as he dived to block a tame penalty.

Everton were rueing that miss nine minutes before the interval when Grabbi, who had rattled the woodwork with a brilliant free-kick, finally got off the mark in the Premiership.

He finished expertly inside the penalty area, after good work from Tugay, to shock Everton, who had enjoyed the greater share of play.

It was difficult to understand how we lost that game, but if you don't take chances we've only ourselves to blame

Everton manager Walter Smith

Everton responded after the break, but Friedel was in action again after 48 minutes to save a free-kick from Alan Stubbs.

And Bjornebye kept Blackburn ahead minutes later when he blocked a drive from Everton youngster Tony Hibbert.

Blackburn goal hero Grabbi was replaced by former Everton veteran Mark Hughes after 62 minutes.

Ferguson should have equalised late on when he somehow directed a header wide from close range following good work by Alexandersson.

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Blackburn: Friedel, Neill, Berg, Bjornebye, Johnson, McAteer, Flitcroft, Tugay, Duff, Jansen, Grabbi. Subs: Bent, Hughes, Hignett, Mahon, Filan.

Everton: Gerrard, Stubbs, Weir, Naysmith, Xavier, Gravesen, Gascoigne, Alexandersson, Hibbert, Campbell, Ferguson. Subs: Unsworth, Moore, Clarke, McLeod, Simonsen.

Referee: G Barber (Tring)