Blackburn Victorious in 5-Goal Replay Thriller

Blackburn Victorious
By Chris O'Brien
January 21 2005

Blackburn Rovers ended Cardiff City's F.A Cup dream with a 3-2 replay win at Ewood Park. Goals from Jobi McAnuff and James Collins, were not enough for the battling Bluebirds, who impressed going forward but were defensively inept.

Cardiff City's F.A Cup dream was halted at Ewood Park on Wednesday, but the improving Bluebirds left Lancashire with plenty of pride after narrowly losing a five-goal thriller 3-2. Jobi McAnuff and James Collins were on the scoresheet for the visitors, who matched their Premiership counterparts for most of the game

Blackburn were off to a flyer with David Thompson giving the hosts the lead in only the 17th minute. Ex-City target Paul Gallagher found Thompson with a neat through ball into the box, and the midfielder rifled a shot past Tony Warner. Mark Hughes' side were playing with confidence and the supporters who bothered to turn up would have been expecting a rout.

City's heads didn't drop though, and 15 minutes later they stunned Rovers with a well-worked equaliser. Richard Langley split the Blackburn defence with a terrific pass that found McAnuff on the left hand side. The former Wimbledon winger charged towards goal and finished superbly with an angled shot past Brad Friedel to the delight of the travelling support.

City were starting to look impressive on the attack, but defensive blunders throughout cost Lennie Lawrence's side a place in the fourth round. It was an error from the hapless Tony Warner that quickly gave the lead back to Blackburn. Warner was distracted by surrounding attackers as man of the match Thompson whipped in a hopeful cross that ended up in the back of the net. With Martyn Margetson returning to fitness, Warner needs to massively improve his shaky error-filled game.

Both sides attacked before the break, but the decisive goal came just after the interval. A side-footed strike from Morten Gamst Pedersen took advantage of poor defending to give the Lancastrian side a two-goal cushion at Ewood Park.

More to follow.

Full Time - Blackburn Rovers 3-2 Cardiff City
Attendance - 9,140

Blackburn Rovers: Friedel, Neill, Todd, Mokoena, Matteo, Emerton, Tugay (Johansson 60), Thompson, Pedersen, Dickov, Gallagher (Reid 61).
Substitutes Not Used: Enckelman, Stead, Johnson.

Cardiff City: Warner, Weston (Vidmar 51), Collins, Gabbidon, Barker, Langley, Kavanagh, Inamoto (Ledley 76), McAnuff, Lee, Thorne (Campbell 62).
Substitutes Not Used: Alexander, Bullock.