Blackburn 0-1 West Ham

Ashton (second right) scores for the Hammers

Dean Ashton earned West Ham an impressive away victory at Blackburn.

Ashton tapped in from close range after George McCartney's pull back to bring a low-key game to the boil.

Rovers keeper Brad Friedel kept out a Luis Boa Morte strike to keep his side in the game but Roque Santa Cruz headed wide and blazed high at the other end.

Ashton should have sealed it late on only to sidefoot high but the visitors held on, despite Tugay's stinging shot being saved by keeper Robert Green.

Interview: Blackburn Rovers boss Mark Hughes

Interview: West Ham boss Alan Curbishley

West Ham skipper Lucas Neill left Rovers for Upton Park in January 2007 and he was cast as the villain of the piece when the game kicked off as he was booed with every touch.

He lost possession early on and Blackburn almost capitalised with David Dunn's 25-yard shot clipping the top of crossbar.

606: DEBATE What did you make of the game?

Blackburn settled the quicker and played some neat football before again going close with a long-range strike as Tugay saw his effort curl narrowly above the angle of the goal.

West Ham also produced promising passages of play but both teams lacked the cutting edge in the final third of the field to engineer a breakthrough.

Both defences were coping too easily with their opponents as neither side took the game by the scruff of neck.

But Stephen Warnock misjudged a ball to allow Nolberto Solano a free run down the right flank.

The Peru international was not helped by the poor movement of team-mates Carlton Cole and Luis Boa Morte and, after his cross found its way back to him, he blazed a shot high.

The lack of goalmouth action showed little sign of improving after the break before Ashton breathed renewed life into the game.

Hammers right-back McCartney pulled a ball back from the goal-line and Ashton, who came on for the injured Matthew Etherington at half-time, was waiting on the six-yard line to apply the finish.

Blackburn belatedly upped their intensity and forced Green into a smart double save.

Christopher Samba saw a header parried before Andre Ooijer's turn and shot from the rebound was also blocked by Green.

Morten Gamst Pedersen fired well high after a well-worked Rovers move gave him a sight of goal on the right of the box as the Hammers started to come under increased pressure.

Santa Cruz glanced a header narrowly wide and then controlled a beautifully lofted ball from Tugay to give himself a clean sight of goal.

But he uncharacteristically shot high from 12 yards before Ashton spurned an equally gilt-edged chance when he side-footed over with the goal at his mercy.

Green did well to parry clear a fierce Tugay strike near the end as West Ham won for the fourth time on their travels this season.

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Blackburn boss Mark Hughes:
"It's frustrating. We didn't play particularly well, especially in the first half.

"The way we conceded was disappointing but their goal shook us up and we did better. Although we haven't played that well we created a number chances.

"David Bentley's (suspended) got a little bit of craft and guile that we maybe missed."

West Ham manager Alan Curbishley:
"To go to Blackburn and get the result we did is fantastic. Over the last three years they have been very consistent.

"It is a big win for us. Great credit has to go to players as everyone knows the injury list we have.

"The players in the team who may not have thought they would play are grabbing their chance."

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Blackburn: Friedel, Emerton, Samba, Ooijer, Warnock, Dunn, Mokoena (Savage 46), Kerimoglu, Pedersen, Santa Cruz, McCarthy.
Subs Not Used: Brown, Reid, Derbyshire, Roberts.

Booked: Ooijer.

West Ham: Green, Neill, Gabbidon, Upson, McCartney, Solano, Parker, Mullins, Etherington (Ashton 46), Cole, Boa Morte.
Subs Not Used: Wright, Noble, Spector, Camara.

Ref: Alan Wiley (Staffordshire).