Blackburn v Tottenham 17/08/96 3.00

Blackburn               (0) 0 Tottenham               (1) 2 FT
                              Armstrong 33,67

Chris Armstrong struck at the double to send Tottenham to an opening-day victory as Blackburn began to experience the harsh reality of life without Alan Shearer.

The 25-year-old striker, who found the target 22 times last season after his £4.5million move from Crystal Palace, showed the Ewood Park fans what they already knew that cash brings class.

But the Londoners' victory, earned comprehensively after a sluggish start, was soured by news that skipper Gary Mabbutt had been taken to hospital with a suspected broken leg following a first-half challenge by Graham Fenton.

The former England man was carried away in obvious agony after a touchline collision, much to the distress of his team-mates.

But Gerry Francis' men shrugged off their concern to piece together a victory that left Rovers looking totally dejected well before the final whistle.

Yet Rovers, stung by pre-season claims that they would be a spent force without Shearer's prolific goal output, had opened at full throttle with Greek new boy Georgios Donis showing his high-octane threat down the flank.

Donis, a summer arrival from Panachinaikos, gave Justin Edinburgh a torrid time down the right but Fenton and Kevin Gallacher failed to get on the end of a stream of crosses.

Tottenham were rocked back on their heels by the Lancastrians' forceful start and their cause was not helped by a double injury blow inside the first half-hour.

Mabbutt, carried off after 15 minutes, was joined in the dressing room 13 minutes later when substitute Stuart Nethercott was helped off with a back problem to be replaced by Clive Wilson.

Even so, the visitors were beginning to show signs that they were finally getting to grips with their task and only a full-stretch save by Tim Flowers prevented Teddy Sheringham from finding the target with a superbly-timed header.

Rovers failed to heed the warning and paid the ultimate price on 32 minutes when Armstrong stuck.

David Howells, in space on the left, whipped over a perfect cross and Armstrong beat Flowers with a downward header after ghosting into the box.

Rovers boss Ray Harford, anxious to give his men an aerial threat, sent on the towering Ian Pearce at the start of the second half.

It was Pearce's first competitive game for nine months following an injury lay-off and he almost had an immediate impact with an angled drive that Walker clutched above his head.

But, once again, Blackburn's lack of an instinctive predator was illustrated on the hour when Fenton arrived too early for an inviting cross from Donis and the ball glanced harmlessly off the young striker's head and away with the goal at his mercy.

That became even more evident when Armstrong made the game safe with another expert finish on 67 minutes.

An intricate move between Sheringham, Ruel Fox and Howells unlocked Blackburn down the right and Armstrong moved smoothly onto Fox's low cross to volley high past Flowers from six yards.

Indeed, the lanky striker was unlucky not to be travelling back south with an opening-day hat-trick after seeing his curling left-footer drift just too high in the dying minutes.

Blackburn: (4-4-2) Flowers, Coleman, Kenna, Sherwood, Hendry, Ripley (Pearce, 45), Gallacher, Fenton, Berg, Donis, Flitcroft (Warhurst, 69).

Subs not used: Marker, Croft, Given.

Booked: Coleman.

Tottenham: (4-4-2) Walker, Edinburgh, Howells, Calderwood, Mabbutt (Nethercott (Wilson, 28), 18), Fox, Anderton (Dozzell, 68), Sheringham, Armstrong, Campbell, Sinton.

Subs not used: Rosenthal, Baardsen.

Booked: Edinburgh, Sinton.

Attendance: 26,960.

Referee: P Jones (Loughbrough).