CHELSEA had one eye on the coming FA Cup attractions on the south coast last night as they struggled to take a point from a game they needed to win in their quest for a UEFA Cup place. Blackburn were no great shakes, just solid and organised enough to pocket a draw as London's trendiest club dreamt of Wembley, just one game away if they win the sixth-round tie at Portsmouth on Sunday.
Chelsea came into the game with an awful record against Rovers, not having beaten them since the play-offs of 1988. But their form over the last few weeks has been impressive with just one defeat in the seven games prior to last night.
The team was also lifted by the return for this game of Gianfranco Zola, who missed last weekend's defeat at Derby with a groin strain. That meant a return to the bench for Gianluca Vialli, further testing the Italian's patience amid reports that the latest club trying to tempt him to jump ship are Tampa Bay Mutiny of the United States' major league.
Blackburn again had to make do without their top scorer Chris Sutton, missing with a virus, but the Danish striker Pers Pedersen made his second start following a £2.5 million move from Odense.
Things have been looking up for Rovers since a haul of just four points from their first 10 games of the season saw Ray Harford lose his job. Tony Parkes, originally caretaker manager prior to Sven Goran Erkisson's summer arrival but now Roy Hodgson's has brought confidence and belief back to the side.
That was just about evident in a disappointing first half in which the teams created just two chances each. Rovers' best came from an 18-yard drive by Tim Sherwood which Frank Leboeuf managed to deflect over the bar. A minute before the break Zola saw his close range shot blocked by Tim Flowers.
Chelsea really were looking disjointed and lacklustre, Blackburn dictating matters with alarming,, ease as far as the increasingly frustrated home supporters were concerned.
When blackburn went ahead on 61 minutes it was no surprise. Jason Wilcox crossed from the left and Pedesen got in front of Paul Hughes by the back post to propel a diving past Frode Grodas for his first goal for the club.
Chelsea, stung by the affront, suddenly came to life and equalised a minute later. Dennis Wise had already forced Flowers to parry an 18-yard drive, Scott Minto heading the rebound wide.
But the full back made no mistake soon after when he swung a leg at a ball cleared by Blackburn's defence and from 25 yards the ball arrowed into the top corner of Flowers' goal.
