HO HO HO

Blackburn dumped out of F.A cup by Coventry =D

Michael Mifsud scored twice as Coventry marched into the FA Cup fourth round at the expense of below-par Blackburn.
Malta international Mifsud opened the scoring with a hooked volley from 12 yards before Elliot Ward expertly slotted home from the penalty spot.

Dele Adebola made the game safe with a clinical third to ensure David Bentley's low strike was only a consolation to a weakened Rovers side.

And Mifsud's rasping drive in stoppage-time completed the rout.

Iain Dowie's side are currently languishing in 17th in the Championship, but they left their Premier League hosts humiliated and can add this scalp to their Carling Cup win at Manchester United earlier in the season.

Mark Hughes started with established regulars Stephen Warnock, Ryan Nelsen and Morten Gamst Pedersen on the substitutes' bench.

But Holland under-21 striker Maceo Rigters, homegrown midfielder Keith Treacy and defensive pair Bruno Berner and Zurab Khizanishvili failed to cope with the rampant visitors.

Benni McCarthy spurned an excellent opportunity to open the scoring shortly before the half-hour mark, firing straight into Dimi Konstantopoulos's midriff after beating the offside trap and racing clean through.

But from then on, Rovers were pegged back and crumbled under pressure.

Mifsud, who joined Coventry from Norwegian outfit Lillestrom 12 months ago, seized on Chris Samba's weak defensive header and hooked a volley from 12 yards which deflected off Berner and looped over Brad Friedel into the far corner.

Jay Tabb's fine shot from 20 yards smacked the crossbar and bounced up for Leon Best, who was shoved in the back by Khizanishvili as he tried to head the ball into the net from inside the six-yard box.

Ward ruthlessly dispatched the spot kick to put the Sky Blues in total control at 2-0.

Adebola was then allowed to race clear to fire home left-footed for a third.

And although Bentley's low strike raised a brief cheer among the home fans, Mifsud's delightful strike in stoppage-time almost burst the net and ensured Coventry had the final say.

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Blackburn: Friedel, Emerton (Pedersen 61), Samba, Khizanishvili, Berner, Bentley, Mokoena, Kerimoglu, Treacy (Derbyshire 69), McCarthy, Rigters (Nelsen 60).
Subs Not Used: Brown, Warnock.

Booked: Khizanishvili.

Goals: Bentley 85.

Coventry: Konstantopoulos, Osbourne, Ward, Turner, Borrowdale, Mifsud, Doyle, Michael Hughes, Tabb, Adebola, Best.
Subs Not Used: De Zeeuw, Kyle, Simpson, Gray, Thornton.

Booked: Doyle.

Goals: Mifsud 34, Ward 64 pen, Adebola 83, Mifsud 90.

Att: 14,421

Ref: Lee Probert (Wiltshire).

:D