WEST Ham will have been content with a draw after an abject second half display saw them surrender the lead against Blackburn Rovers in a game that saw a welcome return to the side for Keiron Dyer.

Mark Noble marked his return to form with a sweet first half goal, but the Hammers were pegged back by Keith Andrews' powerful effort.

Blackburn created the first real opening after eight minutes, as West Ham's Johnathan Spector failed to deal with Jason Roberts' flick on, but Benni McCarthy blazed his shot hopelessly high and wide.

Morten Gamst Pedersen then had a shot blocked by Robert Green as the visitors struggled to find any rhythm.

Fortunate then that the makeshift central defensive pairing of Lucas Neill and James Tomkins were in fine fettle, as both denied Rovers on countless occasions, throwing themselves in front of shots and marshalling the front pair of Roberts and McCarthy expertly.

Noble, meanwhile, was having an all too frequent negligible effect in the centre of the park, until he picked out David Di Michele with a precise through ball, but the Italian forward could only guide his first time shot into the grateful hands of Paul Robinson.

It was the Hammers now who looked more threatening going forward, and they should have taken the lead, only for the ineffective Diego Tristan – making his first start for the club – to whimper out of a goalmouth scramble after Christopher Samba and Robinson had got their wires crossed.

The breakthrough eventually came from the increasingly impressive Noble after what is beginning to become a trademark West Ham goal.

Noble released Luis Boa Morte down the right and the Portuguese midfielder's clever pull back found Tristan. The former Deportivo La Coruna frontman then laid on the advancing Noble, who steered the ball into the far corner with the outside of his boot.

The mood significantly changed after the break, however, as Sam Allardyce swapped Keith Andrews for Andre Oojer. And the substitute made almost an immediate impact, firing through a body of players to level the scores after the combination of Neill and Herita Ilunga failed to clear their lines from a throw in.

Blackburn thought they had the lead ten minutes later when El Hadji Diouf poked the ball in after a terrific Green save from Samba's volley, only for the linesman's flag to deny him.

Tomkins, meanwhile, was a colossus at the heart of West Ham's defence, repelling ball after ball towards the box.

Gianfranco Zola attempted to freshen things up with the introduction of Walter Lopez for Boa Morte, while Dyer's long-awaited return to action was greeted by a chorus of cheers for the strong Hammers' contingent as he replaced the disappointing Di Michele.

Josh Payne made his debut as he replaced Tristan, but he was given no time to make an impact.