An Ince perfect start for Rovers

AFTER THE remarkable way he transformed Macclesfield and Milton Keynes, his avowed aim of turning Blackburn Rovers into the Harlem Globetrotters of the Premier League looks like being a doddle for Paul Ince. The man who carries a magic wand in his kit bag wore a grin the size of the Mersey after collecting his first three points via a dramatic late winner from Andre Ooijer — the only Dutchman whom one could never describe as of the flying variety.
Blackburn and Ince thoroughly deserved their victory, which silenced claims that some of the players were unhappy with the Guv’nor. “The crap they write in papers,” was how Ince dismissed it and though much has been made of the fact that he is only the third black man to manage a Premier League club, he understands that the only real black and white issues in football appear in the win and loss columns.
Everton manager David Moyes will be disappointed that his team were booed off having spent the summer transfer window shopping rather than diving through it feet first, leaving him so short of personnel that he was forced to give a debut to a raft of youngsters, including 16-year-old Jose Baxter and 17-year-old Jack Rodwell. Moyes said: “I told those boys they should be proud of themselves for making the bench. But it’s hard when you have to send on a 16-year-old to try and win you a Premier League game.”
Ince’s Blackburn are another squad who defy the common belief that every Premier League club is awash with transfer funds. Long gone are the days when Jack Walker spent most of his days signing million pound cheques, with Ince forced to sell goalkeeper Brad Friedel and striker David Bentley and fearing Roque Santa Cruz could be next. He replaced the popular Friedel with axed England goalkeeper Paul Robinson, who on debut conceded he was upset with Everton’s equaliser.
Despite his lack of buying power, Ince has promised to sprinkle a little stardust over Blackburn, who were compared in style to their equally unloved neighbours Bolton Wanderers.
Here they proved they are ready to let some light into their game with David Dunn and Morten Gamst Pedersen their sunniest midfield players. Dunn, who has suffered bad luck with injuries,opened the scoring with a jinking run, a cut inside and a lovely left-foot delivery into the corner of Tim Howard’s net.
Everton, however, are always a force to be reckoned with at Goodison, even when they appear to be playing like drains. Two minutes into first-half stoppage time and with Moyes preparing to deliver his first major rollicking of the season, Mikel Arteta fired the equaliser from a difficult angle just outside the box.
Everton suddenly found that the headwind they had appeared to be playing against in the first half had turned into a tail wind. Yakubu, rising magnificently at the far post, connected with Arteta’s wonderful cross and found the net. Everton who won more home games last season than any side outside the top four, appeared to have pulled another from the fire.
Within two minutes, however Blackburn were level, Joleon Lescott allowing Santa Cruz to get goal side from Stephen Warnock’s long hoof forward which came from last season’s playing manual. So did the cool finish from Santa Cruz, hoping to better his 23 goals of last term.
A match that had started at pre-season friendly pace developed into one of those frantic fencing matches for all three points that makes the Premier League such a riveting competition. Baxter, who only signed professional forms with Everton two weeks ago, almost won it with a header over the top a minute from time. But in stoppage time Ooijer claimed that honour after Nelsen’s header from Warnock’s free kick came back off a post.
EVERTON: Howard 7, Neville 5, Yobo 6, Lescott 5, Valente 6 (Baxter 78min) Arteta 8, Jagielka 6, Baines 6, Rodwell 6, Osman 7, Yakubu 7.
BLACKBURN: Robinson 6, Ooijer 6, Samba 7, Nelsen 6, Warnock 6, Reid 6, Mokoena 6, Dunn 7 (Tugay 90min), Pedersen 7 (Treacy 76min), Santa Cruz 7, Roberts 6 (McCarthy 83min)
FROM:TIMESONLINE