Nonda gives Rovers hope

Shabani Nonda stepped off the bench to keep Blackburn's UEFA Cup dream alive with a late goal as the Lancashire club fell to a first-leg 3-2 defeat away to Bayer Leverkusen.

The striker, on loan from Roma, scored his side's second goal of the game three minutes from time.

It now gives Blackburn a fighting chance of progressing when the second leg is staged at Ewood Park next week. With David Bentley also finding the target, those away goals could prove vital.

The visitors could have taken the lead in the first minute when Bentley whipped in a cross from the right. However, the ball skidded away from Jason Roberts on the wet surface and the chance was lost.

Blackburn were left stunned in the 18th minute when Leverkusen made the breakthrough. Jan-Ingwer Callsen-Bracker ghosted in at the far post to head home following a free-kick from Bernd Schneider.

Blackburn carved out a decent chance in the 31st minute when Benni McCarthy got into a good position. He saw his effort blocked by goalkeeper Jorg Butt with David Dunn screaming for the ball inside the six-yard area.

Blackburn equalised in the 38th minute when Stephen Warnock played a short free-kick to Bentley 25 yards out. He rattled in a powerful shot that took a deflection of Carsten Ramelow to leave Butt stranded.

Leverkusen regained the lead in the 43rd minute when Ramelow's long-range effort skewed off the chest of Ryan Nelsen with goalkeeper Brad Friedel out of position.

Leverkusen went 3-1 ahead in the 56th minute when a clever back heel from Schneider went beyond Friedel after Gonzalo Castro had played him in.

Blackburn almost conceded a fourth goal in the 80th minute but Friedel did well to block Stefan Kiessling's effort from close range. Then Nonda threw Blackburn a lifeline with three minutes to go when he rifled a shot home via the underside of the crossbar.