Blackburn Rovers v Manchester City
Sunday December 28, 2008, 4.15pm
Ewood Park, Blackburn - Att: 25,200
Teams:
Rovers:
Robinson,
Ooijer, Samba, Warnock, Nelsen, Emerton, Gamst Pedersen, Tugay (Mokoena
74), Andrews, McCarthy (Derbyshire 85), Roberts.
unused subs: Brown (GK), Khizanishvili, Vogel, Treacy, Olsson.
City:
Hart,
Zabaleta, Onuoha (Richards 64), Dunne, Ball, Kompany, Ireland, Elano
(Vassell 71), Wright-Phillips, Robinho, Caicedo (Sturridge 71).
unused subs: Schmeichel (GK), Garrido, Fernandes, Jo.
Goals: 1-0 McCarthy 45, 2-0 Roberts 84, 2-1 Sturridge 88, 2-2 Robinho 90
Bookings:
Rovers: Tugay 33, Nelsen 90
City: Ireland 54
Referee: Mr H. Webb
Pre match news
Mark
Hughes makes just the one change to his side following the 5-1
thrashing of Hull City on Boxing Day, out goes Micah Richards to the
bench, presumably due to his slight knock picked up on Friday with
Nedum Onuoha taking his place.
Felipe Caicedo has recovered from
his knock to start upfront for the Blues as Mark Hughes returns to
Ewood Park for the first time since leaving Blackburn in the summer.
The match
Blackburn
kicked off having just learnt West Brom's 2-0 win over Spurs had left
them bottom of the table while City were looking to build on the 5-1
hammering of Hull City and continue moving up the table.
On two
minutes it was Mark Hughes' City side with the first sniff of goal as
Vincent Kompany won a header from a right wing corner and Felipe
Caicedo, at full stretch, could only help the ball over.
Rovers'
first threat was from a fifth minute free-kick that had the hosts
appealing for a penalty as Emerton's effort ricocheted through a brace
of City players.
In the ninth minute City were denied a
blatant penalty as Robinho was taken down in the box by Ooijer but
referee Webb and his assistant were the only men inside the Ewood Park
who didn’t think it was a spot-kick.
A minute later Robinho
should have made it 1-0 after a fine flowing move by City. Elano found
Caicedo who raced clear down the left wing and produced a fantastic
cross for Robinho who somehow managed to head wide from six-yards out.
Both
sides were playing good football without creating chances but on 25
minutes Richard Dunne needed to make a crucial last ditch block on the
rampaging Roberts who had muscled his way into the City area and got
his shot off.
Tugay's age caught up with him as his became the
first name taken by the referee for a late sliding tackle on Robinho
after 33 minutes and he was lucky to remain on the pitch moments after
as he clashed with Ireland and disagreed with Mr Webb's decision.
After a quiet end to the half Benni McCarthy
came to life and fired Rovers in front on the stroke of half time as he
placed the ball to Hart's left from 10-yards after it had broken to him
in the area.
HALF TIME: Rovers 1-0 City
No
changes at half time by either manager as City hoped to come out
fighting as they did at the start of the game, but it was Allardyce's
team with the better of the early second half exchanges, Ooijer and
Emerton not troubling Hart when well placed.
City then shook
themselves into action and created two chances in the space of 30
seconds. Firstly, Wright-Phillips hit the post with a deft header, then
Robinho set up Ireland who curled a right footed effort agonisingly
wide.
The Irish midfielder then picked up a booking for a late
challenge on Warnock - a fifth league yellow of the season for him and
a one game suspension to come.
On 64 minutes Nedum Onuoha looked
to be in some discomfort as he was replaced by Micah Richards,
hopefully not another serious injury for both player and Manager to
have to deal with.
Mark Hughes made a signal of intent on 71
minutes as he brought on both Darius Vassell and Danny Sturridge in
place of Elano and Caicedo in a bid to get something out of the game.
The
double substitution gave City that shot in the arm they needed as they
put Blackburn under severe pressure and Chris Samba almost scored an
emphatic own goal from the edge of his own box but it flew over for a
corner.
Micah Richards then went close after a flurry of City
corners but as we entered the final 10 minutes time was ticking away
from the Blues.
But as is often the way when a team chases the
game, the other one scores, and so it proved on 84 minutes. A long free
kick from deep was flicked on for Jason Roberts to head high over Joe Hart into the goal to surely seal the points for Rovers.
Although with two minutes left City clawed their way back into the game as Danny Sturridge fired a low volley home following good skill by Robinho...game on?
Deep into stoppage time it certainly was game on as Sturridge's good play saw him slide Robinho
in on goal and after one touch to control his second was a crisp finish
beyond Robinson to cue unbelievable scenes in the Darwen End and down
on the touchline as Hughes and his backroom staff celebrated...Kevin
Hitchcock even running on to the pitch.
The final whistle went
soon after with City fans and players continuing their celebrations as
Blackburn continued the season of goodwill to all men...and former
employees.
FULL TIME: Rovers 2-2 City
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