Rovers 1 Southampton 1...

[Alan75]

An early second half equaliser by Andy Cole, cancelled out Southampton’s fifth minute goal in the first half to give Blackburn a share of the points this afternoon.

In a first half best forgotten if you were a Blackburn supporters, Southampton took the lead as early as the fifth minute when Beattie set up Kevin Phillips, who made no mistake from close range in front of the Blackburn End.

Souness made wholesale changes at half time, shuffling the formation and bringing on Yorke and Jansen for Gallagher and Douglas.

Within ten minutes of the restart Rovers had equalised when Cole blasted home past the helpless Niemi in the Southampton goal mouth.

Blackburn: Friedel, Neill, Babbel, Short, Gray, Emerton, Andresen, Tugay, Douglas (Jansen 45), Cole, Gallagher (Yorke 45).

Subs Not Used: Gresko, Todd, Enckelman.

Yellow cards : Babbel.

Southampton: Niemi, Dodd, Lundekvam, Michael Svensson, Le Saux, Telfer, Prutton, Delap, Fernandes (McCann 62), Beattie, Phillips (Pahars 88).

Subs Not Used: Higginbotham, Ormerod, Smith.

Yellow cards : Dodd.

Attendance: 21,970

Referee: M Dean

Link to Match Report