Feyenoord - 0 Blackburn - 0:Mark Hughes maintains Europe has not been a distraction this term but the Blackburn manager will be grateful for the breathing space this result provides as his side secured the point needed to seal their place in the knock-out stages of the Uefa Cup.
Hughes has made clear his intention to win the group but, with Rovers toiling in the Premiership and depleted by injury, the final fixture against AS Nancy next month will surely be used to rest players.
A victory might even have been pilfered had Rovers evinced more ruthlessness in the final third, with Robbie Savage coming close to a late winner as he broke from midfield before steering his left-footed shot wide.
Rovers started with purpose, pinning Feyenoord back for much of the opening 20 minutes and Shabani Nonda squandered two opportunities. The Congo international saw his right-foot shot from eight yards tipped round a post by Henk Timmer before he headed David Bentley's hooked cross over.
That profligacy might have been punished midway through the first half but Brad Friedel denied Angelos Charisteas from point-blank range before Zurab Khizanishvili blocked Nick Hofs' attempt to turn in the rebound.
The referee Knut Kircher held up play in the first 10 minutes after a Feyenoord fan appeared to throw beer over Morten Gamst Pedersen. At the other end Stein Huysegems failed to win a penalty with a blatant dive.
The contest had threatened to explode on a couple of occasions, with Hughes arguing with the fourth official that his players were not getting protection. His point got through as first Theo Lucius, then Royston Drenthe collected yellow cards for poor challenges on Bentley and Benni McCarthy. Rovers' rhythm had been disrupted but chances still arrived, Bentley sweeping his shot over in the 54th minute. Feyenoord pressed in search of a breakthrough but Rovers' well-organised defence stood firm.
Guardian Service
FEYENOORD: Timmer, Tiendalli, Andre Bahia, Greene, Drenthe, Buys, Hofs (De Guzman 77), Lucius, Kolkka (Boussaboun 65), Charisteas, Huysegems. Subs Not Used: Mulder, Derijck, Van Hooijdonk, Pardo, Leonard. Booked: Lucius, Drenthe.
BLACKBURN: Friedel, Emerton, Ooijer, Khizanishvili, Gray, Pedersen, Savage, Kerimoglu (Mokoena 81), Bentley, McCarthy (Peter 90), Nonda (Jeffers 69). Subs Not Used: Brown, Todd, Gallagher, McEveley. Booked: Savage.
Referee: Knut Kircher (Germany).
