Coventry 1 Blackburn 0 - FA Cup 5th Rnd replay- 24/02/2009
Coventry 1 Blackburn 0 - FA Cup 5th Rnd replay- 24/02/2009
Coventry City: Kieran Westwood, Daniel Fox, Stepehn Wright, Ben Turner, Elliot Ward, Aron Gunnarsson, Michael Doyle, Jordan Henderson, Freddy Eastwood (Robbie Simpson 86), Clinton Morrison, Leon Best
Subs not used: Andy Marshall, Marcus Hall, Guillaume Beuzelin, Isaac Osbourne, Kevin Thornton, Ashley Cain
Booked: Elliot Ward, Aron Gunnarsson
Goals: Leon Best 59
Blackburn Rovers: Jason Brown, Christopher Samba, Tugay Kerimoglu, Benedict McCarthy, Zurab Khizanishvili (Gael Givet 80), Aaron Mokoena, Carlos Villanueva (Roque Santa Cruz 66), Danny Simpson, Keith Treacy (Stephen Warnock 66), Martin Olsson, Jason Roberts
Subs not used: Paul Robinson, Ryan Nelsen, Morten Gamst Pedersen, Aaron Doran
Booked: Jason Brown
Attendance: 22793
Referee: M Riley
Teamtalk
Leon Best's second-half goal earned Coventry City a deserved 1-0 FA Cup fifth-round replay win over Blackburn Rovers at the Ricoh Arena.
Best - wearing a face mask to protect his fractured cheekbone - headed home a 59th-minute centre from Jordan Henderson to seal the Sky Blues' place in the last eight for the first time in 11 years.
The Sky Blues will face an FA Cup quarter-final home clash with Chelsea.
Chris Coleman's side were worthy winners against a Blackburn line-up which showed 11 changes from the starting XI against Manchester United in the Premier League at the weekend.
Best was a constant menace upfront, Michael Doyle and Aron Gunnarsson pulled the strings in midfield, and Henderson was a threat on the right flank.
With the Sky Blues holding down a mid-tale place in the Championship, Coleman fielded his strongest available side.
And the former Fulham boss will be striving to pull off another cup shock against Chelsea, who were knocked out of the competition by Barnsley last season.
For third from bottom Rovers, surviving in the top flight is now clearly their number one priority given the line-up fielded by Allardyce after the sides had drawn 2-2 at Ewood Park in the first outing.
Traffic congestion outside the Ricoh Arena meant the kick-off was delayed by 15 minutes until 8pm.
Blackburn were the first to threaten and a mix-up between Freddy Eastwood and Ben Turner almost handed them a goal inside the first two minutes.
It needed Sky Blues 'keeper Keiren Westwood to block the eventual shot from a narrow angle by Carlos Villanueva.
But Coventry, unbeaten in their previous four games, looked full of purpose and confidence after defeating the Championship's top two, Wolves and Birmingham, in their previous two home games.
Coventry won their first corner after 20 minutes - and it led to Elliott Ward squandering a golden chance to break the deadlock.
Danny Fox's deep centre picked out the central defender whose downward header contained plenty of power but flew just wide when he would have been expected to at least hit the target.
Gunnarsson became the first player to be yellow carded after 26 minutes for a clumsy touchline challenge on Keith Treacy.
Jason Roberts turned sharply when under pressure from Ward and flashed a low drive just wide with Westwood scrambling across his line after Tugay had played the ball into his feet.
But Clinton Morrison should have given Coventry a 36th-minute lead.
The much travelled striker nipped in ahead of Jason Brown and took the ball away from the keeper but then fired his left-footed shot into the side netting with the goal gaping.
The groans were audible around the Ricoh Arena when the replays were shown of Morrison's miss on the big screen.
Blackburn were now under the cosh and Brown came quickly off his line to save at the feet of Henderson although Westwood did well to block a fierce drive from Treacy just before the interval.
Ward became the second Coventry player to be booked after 48 minutes for bringing down Roberts from behind as he tried to bring the ball away from his own penalty area.
The Sky Blues were looking the more likely to break the deadlock with Gunnarsson pulling the strings in midfield.
Rovers keeper Brown was yellow carded for taking a free-kick from the wrong place near the touch-line - a decision which clearly upset manager Sam Allardyce.
Then after 59 minutes Coventry's pressure paid off when Best put them ahead.
Gunnarsson supplied the cross from the right flank and Best headed past Brown.
Allardyce decided to make a double change after 67 minutes with Roque Santa Cruz and Stephen Warnock replacing Treacy and Villanueva.
It was Coventry who continued to look the more menacing with Morrison's shot blocked by Danny Simpson and a low Best drive testing Brown.
But in injury-time Christopher Samba headed wide from close range for the visitors.
CCFC
Coventry City earned their first FA Cup quarter-final berth in 11 years after a Leon Best header set them up for a mouth-watering last-eight fixture with Premier League Chelsea infront of another record home crowd at the Ricoh Arena.
A season-best 22,793 fans watched Best nod home the winner just before the hour mark from a Jordan Henderson cross.
And Chris Coleman's side also comfortably saw out four minutes of injury time to deny Sam Allardyce's side a second consecutive late comeback.
The sides went into the half-time break on level terms after a goal less first 45 minutes.
Premier League Rovers had opportunities to threaten the City goal with a handful of semi-dangerous shots from Benni McCarthy, Jason Roberts and Keith Treacy.
But the Sky Blues had by far the better chances to break the deadlock through Clinton Morrison, young on-loan winger Jordan Henderson and centre-back Elliott Ward.
Ward had the earliest real effort at goal after 19 minutes, rising to meet Danny Fox's deep corner but steering his downward header wide.
The best chances of the half though were saved for the last ten minutes when Morrison disposed a grounded Jason Brown in the Rovers goal but could only fire a shot into the side netting from an acute angle.
He then laid on a pass for Henderson who tapped the ball over the head of Danny Simpson and giving chase although Brown was too quick off his goal line.
The sky Blues maintainedthe pace after the restart though, Eastwood earning a corner almost straight from the kick-of after his shot was blocked.
After that is was a relatively quiet period in the game as both sides continued to spar.
The Ricoh Arena erupted on 58 minutes though when Henderson floated a cross at the near post for Best to flick a header past Brown.
Best almost had a second 12 minutes from time when Henderson left Danny Simpson for dead in the corner and put in a low cross for the masked striker whose shot on the turn went straight into Brown's chest.
He had another effort with nine minutes to go, Doyle nodding a crossfield ball into his path, Best shooting at Brown's legs.
Blackburn substitute Roque Santa Cruz had a half chance two minutes later, his weak header bouncing infront of Westwood who eventually collected.
But Morrison almost finished off the tie as the game moved into injury time, Doyle again using his head to find Morrison whose own header was saved at close range by Brown.
City fans' hearts skipped a beat in the third of four minutes of injury time, Chris Samba heading across Westwood's goal and narrowly wide.
But it was to be City's night as they restricted Blackburn to punted balls upfield and continually chased down their opponents to record a memorable victory and bring them just a win away from Wembley.
Coventry City: Kieran Westwood, Daniel Fox, Stepehn Wright, Ben Turner, Elliot Ward, Aron Gunnarsson, Michael Doyle, Jordan Henderson, Freddy Eastwood (Robbie Simpson 86), Clinton Morrison, Leon Best
Subs not used: Andy Marshall, Marcus Hall, Guillaume Beuzelin, Isaac Osbourne, Kevin Thornton, Ashley Cain
Booked: Elliot Ward, Aron Gunnarsson
Goals: Leon Best 59
Blackburn Rovers: Jason Brown, Christopher Samba, Tugay Kerimoglu, Benedict McCarthy, Zurab Khizanishvili (Gael Givet 80), Aaron Mokoena, Carlos Villanueva (Roque Santa Cruz 66), Danny Simpson, Keith Treacy (Stephen Warnock 66), Martin Olsson, Jason Roberts
Subs not used: Paul Robinson, Ryan Nelsen, Morten Gamst Pedersen, Aaron Doran
Booked: Jason Brown
Attendance: 22793
Referee: M Riley
Teamtalk
Leon Best's second-half goal earned Coventry City a deserved 1-0 FA Cup fifth-round replay win over Blackburn Rovers at the Ricoh Arena.
Best - wearing a face mask to protect his fractured cheekbone - headed home a 59th-minute centre from Jordan Henderson to seal the Sky Blues' place in the last eight for the first time in 11 years.
The Sky Blues will face an FA Cup quarter-final home clash with Chelsea.
Chris Coleman's side were worthy winners against a Blackburn line-up which showed 11 changes from the starting XI against Manchester United in the Premier League at the weekend.
Best was a constant menace upfront, Michael Doyle and Aron Gunnarsson pulled the strings in midfield, and Henderson was a threat on the right flank.
With the Sky Blues holding down a mid-tale place in the Championship, Coleman fielded his strongest available side.
And the former Fulham boss will be striving to pull off another cup shock against Chelsea, who were knocked out of the competition by Barnsley last season.
For third from bottom Rovers, surviving in the top flight is now clearly their number one priority given the line-up fielded by Allardyce after the sides had drawn 2-2 at Ewood Park in the first outing.
Traffic congestion outside the Ricoh Arena meant the kick-off was delayed by 15 minutes until 8pm.
Blackburn were the first to threaten and a mix-up between Freddy Eastwood and Ben Turner almost handed them a goal inside the first two minutes.
It needed Sky Blues 'keeper Keiren Westwood to block the eventual shot from a narrow angle by Carlos Villanueva.
But Coventry, unbeaten in their previous four games, looked full of purpose and confidence after defeating the Championship's top two, Wolves and Birmingham, in their previous two home games.
Coventry won their first corner after 20 minutes - and it led to Elliott Ward squandering a golden chance to break the deadlock.
Danny Fox's deep centre picked out the central defender whose downward header contained plenty of power but flew just wide when he would have been expected to at least hit the target.
Gunnarsson became the first player to be yellow carded after 26 minutes for a clumsy touchline challenge on Keith Treacy.
Jason Roberts turned sharply when under pressure from Ward and flashed a low drive just wide with Westwood scrambling across his line after Tugay had played the ball into his feet.
But Clinton Morrison should have given Coventry a 36th-minute lead.
The much travelled striker nipped in ahead of Jason Brown and took the ball away from the keeper but then fired his left-footed shot into the side netting with the goal gaping.
The groans were audible around the Ricoh Arena when the replays were shown of Morrison's miss on the big screen.
Blackburn were now under the cosh and Brown came quickly off his line to save at the feet of Henderson although Westwood did well to block a fierce drive from Treacy just before the interval.
Ward became the second Coventry player to be booked after 48 minutes for bringing down Roberts from behind as he tried to bring the ball away from his own penalty area.
The Sky Blues were looking the more likely to break the deadlock with Gunnarsson pulling the strings in midfield.
Rovers keeper Brown was yellow carded for taking a free-kick from the wrong place near the touch-line - a decision which clearly upset manager Sam Allardyce.
Then after 59 minutes Coventry's pressure paid off when Best put them ahead.
Gunnarsson supplied the cross from the right flank and Best headed past Brown.
Allardyce decided to make a double change after 67 minutes with Roque Santa Cruz and Stephen Warnock replacing Treacy and Villanueva.
It was Coventry who continued to look the more menacing with Morrison's shot blocked by Danny Simpson and a low Best drive testing Brown.
But in injury-time Christopher Samba headed wide from close range for the visitors.
CCFC
Coventry City earned their first FA Cup quarter-final berth in 11 years after a Leon Best header set them up for a mouth-watering last-eight fixture with Premier League Chelsea infront of another record home crowd at the Ricoh Arena.
A season-best 22,793 fans watched Best nod home the winner just before the hour mark from a Jordan Henderson cross.
And Chris Coleman's side also comfortably saw out four minutes of injury time to deny Sam Allardyce's side a second consecutive late comeback.
The sides went into the half-time break on level terms after a goal less first 45 minutes.
Premier League Rovers had opportunities to threaten the City goal with a handful of semi-dangerous shots from Benni McCarthy, Jason Roberts and Keith Treacy.
But the Sky Blues had by far the better chances to break the deadlock through Clinton Morrison, young on-loan winger Jordan Henderson and centre-back Elliott Ward.
Ward had the earliest real effort at goal after 19 minutes, rising to meet Danny Fox's deep corner but steering his downward header wide.
The best chances of the half though were saved for the last ten minutes when Morrison disposed a grounded Jason Brown in the Rovers goal but could only fire a shot into the side netting from an acute angle.
He then laid on a pass for Henderson who tapped the ball over the head of Danny Simpson and giving chase although Brown was too quick off his goal line.
The sky Blues maintainedthe pace after the restart though, Eastwood earning a corner almost straight from the kick-of after his shot was blocked.
After that is was a relatively quiet period in the game as both sides continued to spar.
The Ricoh Arena erupted on 58 minutes though when Henderson floated a cross at the near post for Best to flick a header past Brown.
Best almost had a second 12 minutes from time when Henderson left Danny Simpson for dead in the corner and put in a low cross for the masked striker whose shot on the turn went straight into Brown's chest.
He had another effort with nine minutes to go, Doyle nodding a crossfield ball into his path, Best shooting at Brown's legs.
Blackburn substitute Roque Santa Cruz had a half chance two minutes later, his weak header bouncing infront of Westwood who eventually collected.
But Morrison almost finished off the tie as the game moved into injury time, Doyle again using his head to find Morrison whose own header was saved at close range by Brown.
City fans' hearts skipped a beat in the third of four minutes of injury time, Chris Samba heading across Westwood's goal and narrowly wide.
But it was to be City's night as they restricted Blackburn to punted balls upfield and continually chased down their opponents to record a memorable victory and bring them just a win away from Wembley.
posted by SkyBlueSnowy at 10:18 pm
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