West Ham United are off the bottom of the Premiership after they recorded their first away win of the season at Ewood Park.
Alan Curbishley's team went into today's game as the last remaining club in all four divisions still to win away from home.And for all but the final 20 minutes of the game it looked as if that record was safe. Safe it was, until two hotly-disputed goals in the space of four minutes turned the tables in the Hammers' favour.
Centre-half Christopher Samba had given Rovers the lead just two minutes into the second period following a goal-less first half.
James Collins was guilty of losing his man on a corner (albeit with the help of Marlon Harewood, who blocked Collins' run) to allow Samba to nod home.
The goal served to give the home side added impetus, and at that stage the Hammers looked ragged. Defeat seemed inevitable until Lady Luck - a stranger to East London this season - smiled upon Carlos Tevez after the striker had been felled in the penalty box by what seemed a reasonably innocuous challenge.
However referee Howard Webb was convinced enough to point to the spot - and thankfully Alan Curbishley was wise enough to this time ask the Argentinian to step forward. With little hesitation Tevez stroked the ball into the bottom right-hand corner to pull United level.
Blackburn were incensed by the goal - no doubt by the decision to award the spot-kick, although possibly also at their failure to have previously killed off a game that was there for the taking. However if they were angry at that, they were to be positively outraged at the decision which led to the winning goal.
A resulting corner for United led to a goalmouth scramble, and Bobby Zamora - who once again proved hugely influential as a late substitute - stabbed the ball goalwards. However the shot struck Carlos Tevez, standing on the line, and rebounded away from goal.
Tevez had the temerity to claim a goal - as did his team mates when they realised it might just be worth a shout after all - and to the amazement of all, linesman Divine (intervention?) signalled for a goal. Referee Webb will no doubt claim that he had little choice but to take the word of his colleague, and blew to confirm the decision.
Blackburn were amazed - West Ham United's players equally so - but who can say the Hammers didn't deserve a bit of outrageous good fortune after everything this year? Webb will feel hugely embarrased when he gets to see a replay, and if Zamora's 'goal' fails to re-ignite up the debate about goal-line technology, nothing will.
But Alan Curbishley will take his breaks any way they come at the moment, and the three points - which the Hammers held on to with comparative ease following Zamora's winner - lifts them off the bottom of the Premiership tonight, and two points closer to safety.
Of course, survival is still extremely unlikely with just eight games of the season remaining, and three of those against Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal.
But a win over Middlesbrough in United's next game on the final day of the month could just have the likes of Sheffield United and Wigan looking over their shoulders once more - and leave us poor supporters hanging on tenterhooks once again at the climax to a most extraordinary season.
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