• Striker had agreed terms for move to England
• Permit application refused by Home Office

Ivelin Popov’s proposed move to Blackburn Rovers is off after the Litex Lovech striker was denied a work permit.

Popov had agreed terms to join the club after completing a medical last week, but the Home Office refused him a permit because he had not played in enough internationals.

The 22-year-old, who has scored three goals in 15 matches for Bulgaria, made his international debut in a friendly against Wales in 2007 but missed several games in the last year due to injury. Popov, scorer of 32 goals in 101 matches in the Bulgarian top division, was instrumental in helping the Lovech club win last season’s league title, two national cups and the domestic Supercup.

Popov is expected to start for Bulgaria in their Euro 2012 qualifier against England on Friday.

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David Gold and David Sullivan will hope to witness more affirming occasions than their first home game as West Ham’s freshly ensconced joint-owners.

The pair had entered once the strains of Any Old Iron, Run Rabbit Run and various other cockney melodies had faded. Yet after a rousing reception for what was billed as “Home At Last” by the West Ham programme, the two Davids saw an encounter imbued with a reserve game’s quality and atmosphere until the closing 20 minutes.

West Ham may have about edged possession during the opening period, but the “highlights” boiled down to the odd corner plus too few chances from the teams, who had lined up 4-5-1, and with a seemingly identical intent to cause stupor in the stands.

On 33 minutes Alessandro Diamanti’s free-kick from the right at least worried Paul Robinson, requiring England’s ex-No1 to punch to safety.

Blackburn’s best effort appeared to have also derived from a free-kick on the angle. Morten Gamst Pedersen swung this one in from the left on a low parabola. The ball was allowed to bisect the box, before it was shinned away.

Thankfully, some genuine premium fare did arrive, two minutes before the oranges and teas. This time Pederson lined the free-kick up 25 yards from Robert Green’s goal, and the Norwegian’s sweet left-footed shot rasped the ball beyond the keeper, only for it dip against the bar.

The game stirred after Carlton Cole made a second entrance since recovering from the knee injury that had kept him out since November. He was quickly followed by Jason Roberts, whose opening contribution was to remove James Tomkins with a playground body swerve before the striker unloaded straight into Green’s midrift.

Earlier Gaël Givet would have scored had Cole not cleared off the line. His expertise, though, had been required in front of the opposing goal.

Robinson also tipped over from Diamant but David G and David S retired to their executive lounge knowing West Ham have to start winning soon.

Premier LeagueWest Ham UnitedBlackburn RoversJamie Jacksonguardian.co.uk

Blackburn’s revival is under way at last, with a second successive league win taking them into mid-table comfort at the expense of Wigan, who fought back once in this game yet have still to display the steel necessary to climb the table.

All three goals came from set pieces, and there was precious little football beyond that, which will not be a worry for Sam Allardyce but just might be beginning to bother Roberto Martinez and his employers. Blackburn have long known how to escape trouble. Wigan appear in danger of forgetting.

After hitting the post through Niko Kalinic as early as the fifth minute, Blackburn took the lead midway through the first half. Brett Emerton floated a free-kick into the danger area near the penalty spot, and though Wigan’s new goalkeeper Vladimir Stojkovic came out to punch clear, the ball went straight to Morten Gamst Pedersen, who returned it with interest from the edge of the area.

Wigan had begun promisingly enough with Hugo Rodallega fashioning a chance for himself in the opening minute, though the striker quickly became isolated as Blackburn pushed the visitors’ midfield further back. As half-time approached Wigan were only threatening from set pieces, and when Rodallega did manage to curl a free-kick into the gap between Paul Robinson and his back line Paul Scharner managed to duck under it when any sort of contact seemed likely to bring a goal.

When Wigan equalised just before the hour it was from another set piece, this time a corner, though as Ryan Nelsen had conceded it by flinging himself bravely in the way of a thunderous Rodallega shot it could be argued the visitors had pressurised the Blackburn defence. James McCarthy sent over a cross from the left that was too high for Scharner at the near post, but possibly distracted by the Austrian’s leap Robinson and his defence stood still and allowed Gary Caldwell to score his first for Wigan with a stooping header.

Blackburn hit the bar shortly afterwards, Pedersen getting on the end of Emerton’s cross but making contact with his shoulder as well as his head. Even so he came within inches of again beating Stojkovic, who had not looked convincing all night under crosses. It was another cross and another set piece that finally earned Blackburn the points, Wigan losing concentration at a Pedersen corner and letting the unmarked Kalinic scored the simplest of winners.

Blackburn RoversWigan AthleticPremier LeaguePaul Wilsonguardian.co.uk