Blackburn Rovers 1 - Arsenal 0 (1-0 on agg)
Benni scores a beauty - off the bench.
Rovers keep their 4th clean sheet and knocked Arsenal out of their second cup competition in four days! It wasn't pretty, but Blackburn's tactics worked again as Chris Samba picked up Man of the match in a truly excellent defensive display. Ryan Nelsen returned to the back four, but Stephen Warnock had to leave the game at half time feeling unwell. Tugay was replaced by David Dunn, and Chris Nonda made way for Benni McCarthy - both were involved in the winning goal that came with just 4 minutes left of normal time. Then it was all hands to the pumps to snuff out any late chances that Arsenal might create - not many. So the reward is a home tie next Sunday against Manchester City.
Mark Hughes told RADIO ROVERS: "It was a magnificent strike by Benni. It was a goal of such quality that the game deserved to finish at that point. It was a great goal and I thought overall over the two ties we deserved to go through, in the first game we possibly rode our luck at the end of the game but up to that point we had been really strong and resolute. Tonight we asked questions of Arsenal, restricted them once again to very few opportunities and produced a little bit of magic and over the course of the two games we fully deserved to go through."
Blackburn v Manchester City at 16:00 hrs Sunday 11th March 2007, tickets go on sale from tomorrow with bargain prices again of £15 for Season Ticket holders (£5 for concessions). Non season ticket holders will pay £20 and £10 for concessions. (28th February 2007)
bbc.co.uk (match report) ALSO rovers.co.uk (reaction)
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New Deal for Bentley
Contracted 'till 2011
Blackburn Rovers have announced that former Londoner has signed a new contract with the club to keep him in Lancashire for a further four years. Mark Hughes told Rovers.co.uk "David has really blossomed this season to produce a consistently high level of performance. He is a great talent with a big future and we are delighted to have signed him up for the long term." And the player says he's really happy it's all been sorted out. He says he's enjoying his time at Rovers and looks forward to the future. Listeners to RADIO ROVERS will hear a full interview with David in Wednesdays broadcast ahead of his meeting with his former club Arsenal in the FA Cup.
Chairman John Williams says "David is widely regarded as one of the best young footballers in the country and this represents a very significant deal for the club, underpinning our determination to continue to move forward with ambition." (27th February 2007)
rovers,co.uk (full story) AND bbc.co.uk (more)

Blackburn Rovers 3 - Portsmouth 0
Nonda Brace & a first for Wornock
Rovers found the perfect response to last weeks disappointment in Europe, a 3-0 home win in the Premiership and moved back in to the top ten of the league. And it all started brilliantly when 'Chris' Nonda found the net after just 56 seconds! Things had hardly settled down before David James was easily beaten, and it set out the stall for a one sided encounter. Matt Derbyshire was on hand to create the perfect pass and find Nonda 6 yards out to score his second on 25 minutes - it was 2-0 at the break. Portsmouth made two half time substitutions, but offered little improvement, where as Rovers continued to take their chances. With 50 minutes gone Stephen Warnock score his first Blackburn goal from the center of the area. With an hour gone, Nonda was on for his hat-trick when he stepped up to take a penalty. Sadly Rovers and penalties don't get on too well, and James managed to push the shot wide. Still there were more chances but it finished with a satisfactory 3-0 and 'Chris' picked up his first man of the match award.
Mark Hughes told RADIO ROVERS: "It was excellent given that we were involved in Europe on Thursday. I wanted to freshen the team up and I thought from start to finish we were attacking the game with the right tempo the right desire in the game and we weren't to be denied today."
Blackburn now have 37 points from 28 games, and are back in 10th place. (25th February 2007)
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Blackburn Rovers 0 - Bayer Leverkusen 0 (2-3 agg)
Rovers European dream ends at Ewood
Blackburn Rovers have plenty to be proud of ... and their UEFA quest included clean sheets in all their home games. But that doesn't dim the disappointment of keeping another one tonight, but failing to find the net with any of their chances. Benni McCarthy and sub Chris Nonda both got close, as did other players, but none was a true tough test of the Leverkusen keeper. There was criticism for the Spanish officials - but they didn't bring the dream to and end.
At the end of the day, the tie was probably lost last week in Germany when Rovers conceded 3 goals. All the visitors needed to do was not let Rovers score, and their game plan worked. Mark Hughes told Radio Rovers: "It's not to be this year, but we've got to work really hard from now until the end of the season to make sure we are in the competition next year hopefully. We've enjoyed the European campaign, it has been good for us and good for the development of the team and the squad. We've struggled of late because of the injuries we've had, but overall we'll learn from this and be a better team." And with players such as Robbie Savage and Steven Reid long term injuries, it was always going to tough. Now it's the league on Sunday and FA Cup again next Wednesday. (22nd February 2007)

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Ballamy return possible?
£80k fine could be start of a long goodbye
Telegraph.co.uk speculate that with an £80,000 fine (two weeks wages) to be handed to Craig Bellamy by Liverpool, the former Rovers striker could return to Ewood Park this summer. The website say: "Craig Bellamy will board Liverpool's flight to Barcelona pondering a future that might yet be played out at Blackburn with Rovers manager Mark Hughes ready to take the troublesome forward off Rafael Benitez's hands, 12 months after losing him to Anfield in a £6 million deal."
Bellamy saw allegations of attacking a team mate splashed all over the tabloids. Knowing that the Liverpool boss won't stand for any bad behavior, it's easy to guess that the talented striker (with 17 goals to his credit last term) could make a Rovers Return. Hughes certainly seems to know how to handle the Welshman, and as the Telegraph says: "Bellamy enjoyed one of the most successful and incident-free seasons of his career during his 12 months at Ewood Park, scoring 13 goals in 27 Premiership appearances to help Blackburn secure qualification for the Uefa Cup." Watch this space! (20th February 2007)
telegraph.co.uk

Blackburn Rovers/Arsenal v Manchester City
At last a home tie - perhaps
Should Rovers overcome Arsenal in next weeks replay, they've been rewarded with a home tie against North West rivals Manchester City in the Quarter finals of the FA Cup. And John Williams has welcomed the news, telling SKY Sports "We have been drawn away for three consecutive games, and we have got a home tie which is what everyone at the club wanted at this stage. It's a local derby, Manchester City, it would be a very good game but obviously we need to get past Arsenal."
The draw in full:
FA Cup quarter-final Middlesbrough or West Brom v Manchester United or Reading Arsenal or Blackburn v Manchester City
Chelsea v Tottenham Plymouth v Watford (18th February 2007)

Should Rovers beat Arsenal next week, there's a Sunday afternoon date with SKY TV at Ewood Park. Rovers.co.uk say that The FA Cup sixth round tie against Manchester City will now be broadcast live. It will be on Sunday 11 March 2007 with a 4.00pm kick off. (20th February 2007)

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Arsenal 0 v Blackburn Rovers 0
Rovers hold the Gunners and bring the cup to Ewood
Brad Friedel praised Rovers defensive game and made some crucial saves as Blackburn held Arsenal at the Emirates. Blackburn almost took the tie when Matt Derbyshire came off the bench and chipped the ball from inside the area to almost beat the Arsenal keeper. Much of the game was at a sedate pace - but as always Arsenal looked dangerous on the break - Henry among their stars to come close - but not close enough.
Mark Hughes was delighted with the performance and result and he told rover.co.uk; "Apart from a couple of saves at the end which we are grateful for because Brad made a fantastic double stop that kept them out at the end, apart from that he had very little to do and I think that is credit to the guys in front of him. It was a great performance, I'm delighted for everybody. We needed big performances from a number of people today and that is what I got." Adding another game to the tight schedule will stretch them, however - there's a good chance that some key player will be back when the 5th round comes home at the end of the month - Wed 28th February. (17th February 2007)
bbc.co.uk (match report) ALSO rovers.co.uk (reaction)
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Arsenal v Blackburn Rovers
The Gunners take it in extra time
Blackburn Rovers play Arsenal in the 5th round of the FA Cup after they beat Bolton 3-1 after Extra Time. Bolton trailed to an Emmanuel Adebayor goal after 12 minutes, and it took them to 90 minutes to find an equaliser through Abdoulaye Meite. But Arsenal managed two more in Extra time, Fredrik Ljungberg after 107 minutes, and a second from Adebayor on 120.
So it's another trip to London for Rovers .... Live on BBC 1 this Saturday lunchtime. (14th February 2007)

Bayer Leverkusen 3 - Blackburn Rovers 2
Rovers come from behind twice & should have won in Germany
Blackburn will be asking themselves how they missed four golden chances of goals in the first half, and failed to continue to pressurise after the break. However, it's only half time - Rovers have two away goals, and on the night the conditions almost guaranteed there would be mistakes.
The match started brightly for Blackburn - and Jason Roberts should have scored within the opening 2 minutes. They continued to create chances, but it was Leverkusen who scored first when Jan-Ingwer Callsen-Bracker headed home from a free kick. With the half ticking away David Bentley took a Rovers free kick, and via a wicked deflection the ball was in the net, 1-1. Ironically Carsten Ramelow gave the home side the lead again via another defection on 43 minutes. 2-1 at the break and every chance of Rovers taking the lead in the second period. Somehow they failed to keep up the pressure, and it was the German side that scored again courtesy of Bernd Schneider on 55 minutes. But Rovers kept trying to push forward and with the substitution of Chris Nonda on for Jason Roberts they were rewarded with five minutes to go. David Bentley took a free kick from the left of the box, and through a group of players it was Nonda who volleyed home from close range.
Blackburn again were forced to play a much changed side - with injuries and ineligible. Mark Hughes can now prepare for the return leg just a goal down - and must be happy with the two scored away from home. (14th February 2007)
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Everton 1- Blackburn Rovers 0
David Dunn comes of injured - after just 15 minutes
Rovers lost their third game on the road - and another player to injury. Andy Johnson opened the scoring for Everton after 9 minutes - with Rovers just not at the races. For the second game running Jason Roberts was called in to action after just 15 minutes - this time when David Dunn (making his first start) picked up an injury in a clash with Phil Neville. Zurab Khizanishvili had a good chance just before the break, but Tim Howard was up to the challenge. A much improved Rovers started the second half, and continued to pressurise the home side. Blackburn moved to three up front with Paul Gallagher coming off for Francis Jeffers. Rovers created chances, but seemed to miss the talents of Pedersen and recent live wire Matt Derbyshire (and of course Robbie Savage). The last throw of the dice saw Andy Todd come on for Khizanishvili and saw big Chris Samba push up to join the front men and try to find the equaliser, but to no avail. The match saw new boys Samba and Berner getting a full 90 minutes. (10th February 2007)
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Morten to miss next run of games
MGP leaves Norway game after 39 minutes
Blackburn Rovers have revealed that in form star Morten Gamst Pedersen could miss the next three games after picking up a hamstring injury during the Norway friendly against Croatia.
Mark Hughes told reporters:- "He's not very good to be perfectly honest. He felt a slight tightness in his hamstring, he was good and came off straight away but it looks like he is going to be out for maybe ten-eleven days so he is going to miss a crucial period for us. Obviously we've the Premier League at the weekend, Europe in midweek and the FA Cup following that, so he's going to miss three competitions for us."
Everton in the League, UEAF action in Germany, and the 5th round of the FA Cup are all likely to be without his services.
Rovers are already without new boy Stephen Warnock for the trip to Everton - he saw red in his home debut against Sheffield United. There could be a start for other new signing Bruno Berner, who the Manager admits is in his thoughts for the game. David Dunn, Paul Gallagher or Sergio Peter could help out too. Also now out with injury is Matt Derbyshire (who also missed his International debut) - Jason Roberts might make his first start. (8th February 2007)
rovers.co.uk

Now he's agreed to sign on for a new one-year deal, which will keep him at the club until the summer of 2008. (5th Februray 2007)

ALSO - Michael Gray to go out on loan
There were also reports today that Rovers defender Michael Gray will be going out on loan for the rest of the season, and made available for transfer in the summer.


bbc.co.uk (story) ALSO rovers.co.uk (details)

Blackburn Rovers 2 - Sheffield United 1
'The Gamst' grabs another two
Morten Gamst Pedersen scored first and last to secure all three points for Rovers - but the winner didn't come 'till the 92nd minute! The game also saw the sad departure early on of Matt Derbyshire who seemed to pick up an injury, and a second yellow saw Stephen Warnock see RED and Rovers end with ten men. Mark Hughes gave home debuts to Chris Samba and Warnock - with the biggest cheer of the day reserved for sub DAVID DUNN who saw about half an hours action. Blackburn had to weather an early storm from United, but it was MGP who struck first on 21 minutes, heading home from a Brett Emerton cross. It only took three more minutes before former favourite John Stead got the equaliser for his new team from the center of the area. A scrappy game gave chances to both sides, but Brad Friedel had little to do for the most part. Pedersen and Bentley both tested Paddy Kenny. Deep into injury time the Norwegian stepped up for the free kick after Michael Tonge fouled on David Dunn. From 25 yards out Pedersen found the back of the net, and the game was over.

Mark Hughes told RADIO ROVERS "We always feel that if we get Morten in that position on the football field then he has the ability to convert chances like that. I've seen Morten do that time and time again in training, and once he gets in range it is very difficult to stop. It was a great strike, we've won the game, we haven't played particularly well but that is credit to Sheffield United because they worked extremely hard. "All-in-all we are very pleased. Chris Samba has come in and done well, Stephen Warnock had a good debut albeit we are disappointed that he's got two bookings. David Dunn returning, Jason Roberts back from injury, so a lot of positives on the day. We are delighted with the three points because it isn't very often that we don't play to our best and win games so we'll take this one."

Matt Derbyshire will sadly miss his England under 21 debut with what Mark Hughes believes is a thigh strain and will be out for two to three weeks.
Rovers up to 9th in the Premiership with 34 points. (3rd February 2007)
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