5000 holes in Blackburn, Lancashire

Blackburn Rovers 2 West Ham United 1

Watching the BBC updates on this is another painful experience. Looking at the highlights we dominate most of the first half without creating too much. Mayers slides a tempting cross across the box and Mukasa forces a decent save from Toth. Big Sam and Vlogger Jake are among the 7000 away fans and are not too impressed. 

The Hammers start the second half with a flurry of chances. The Greek Bloke doesn't connect properly with a free header from a corner and Piroe forces a one-handed save from Toth. Austbo crosses for Bowen to head against the outside of the post and then Engels connects well but sends his shot narrowly wide.

Two minutes later West Ham's glass jaw is exposed from our own corner. Mayers is a little unlucky with his tackle on Fevrier. The Blackburn man races down the right and though Ezra keeps up with him he can't prevent the cross. He should perhaps have taken a yellow to stop him, though Mayers has done well going forward. Hermansen is stranded in no-man's land when he might have gathered the cross and the unmarked Gudjohnson heads home at the back post.

Engels has a shot wide but soon West Ham are two down. Kilman goes down after an arm in the face, but as the West Ham players appeal Blackburn get on with it and Afolayan shoots home from the edge of the area. Hermansen might have saved that one too. It could be time to bring back Areola as Mads isn't making many great saves either. 

Parker throws on the subs and with eight minutes to go Taty Castellanos gets in a good cross that Piroe controls and finishes well to bring it back to 2-1. There's a late Soucek header too close to the keeper and that's it before the whistle goes and the Irons' unbeaten away record is over.

At least Parker now has two weeks to work with the non-international payers. Looking at the stats West Ham had 65 per cent possession and 21 shots to Blackburn's five. We have the basis of a good team if Parker can make a few adjustments. But it's goals that count and we've again been let down by poor defending and a lack of cutting edge. 

That's now three defeats out of four. We desperately need a win against bottom-club Preston next. What could possibly go wrong?