A Morten Gamst Pedersen brace and a late goal from Luke Derbyshire helped Blackburn win their third successive away game and complete a double over their rivals from the blue side of Manchester.
Both the teams started off cautiously and there wasn’t any play that could have been classified as outstanding in the first half an hour. City were easily outplayed in the first half, with the midfield unable to connect with the forwards. They gave away possession too easily in the centre of the park, and Tugay and Savage had it easy in the centre.
For all their possession, Blackburn couldn’t make it count and it was City who nearly took the lead. Micah Richards headed home from a corner and a goalline clearance from David Bentley saved the ball from going in. Andre Oojer got into a tangle with Bernado Corradi and was stretchered off the field with what appeared to be a serious ankle injury. Emerton replaced the former PSV defender and Blackburn resumed their quest for a goal. Tugay, who has been in fine form for Rovers this season, orchestrated the moves from midfield, but a fantastic saving tackle from Dunne ensured that McCarthy did not finish. It was Blackburn who deservingly took the lead. Blackburn played more with a focus towards their wings, and Bentley produced a fine cross for Pedersen to head it across the helpless Weaver. There was some useless City defending too, with Hatem Trabelsi completely forgetting that he had to manmark the Norwegian, who made the most of the opportunity given to him.
City’s play lacked focus, and long balls never found their target. After half time and a possible ticking off from Stuart Pearce, the hosts came back strongly. Samaras and Beasley came on for Corradi and Sinclair as City pressed for an equaliser to keep their fine home record intact. But the visitors made it 2-0 in the 62th minute, when Gamst Pedersen flighted home a wonderful freekick which made a mockery of the City wall.
City went forward, and Darius Vassell was unlucky to have both his shots saved by Friedel. Vassell played his heart out, and was probably City’s best player on the night. He caused Henchoz and Khzanishivili problems quite a few problems.I thought City were guilty of trying to do too much from the right. That statistic improved in the second half though.
Hughes brought on Luke Derbyshire and Paul Gallagher late in the game and Derbyshire scored his 3rd in 4 games, just minutes from the final whistle. Some extremely pathetic defending from Stephen Jordan, who is now first choice left back with Thatcher having moved to Charlton, saw Derbyshire move into a one on one with a keeper and he beat Weaver from a narrow angle to make it 3-0.
I thought 2-1 would have been a fair result, but City have themselves to blame for all the three goals which they conceded. Pathetic defending, pathetic manmarking, and at this level, you can’t play like that !!!!!!