Rovers seal late win

Blackburn Rovers came out on top in the East Lancashire derby after they secured a 2-1 win at home to Burnley.

Rovers were thankful to Morten Gamst Pedersen who scored the winner with five minutes remaining, smashing a tremendous shot beyond the Clarets' keeper.

Turkish international Tugay had given the home side the lead with a long-range effort that took a wicked deflection off Frank Sinclair.

But the Championship side drew level when Micah Hyde thumped home a dipping volley from the edge of the area.

Though Blackburn were in control of the match for much of the first-half, they never really converted their possession into meaningful chances and they could have been punished for their profligacy but for an intervention by a Burnley player.

Mark Hughes was no doubt pleased with the way his side bossed the game and their passing was excellent. However in the final third there was no inspiration and for half an hour they were reduced to trying long-range shots from distance.

Then, on 31 minutes, Rovers got their noses in front. Robbie Savage's free-kick from the left was not cleared properly and Brett Emerton's smashed the ball in the general direction of the goal.

His effort rebounded into the feet of Tugay, whose right-footed shot from 30 yards deflected off Sinclair and into the net beyond a wrong-footed Brian Jensen.

Burnley, up to this point hardly in the game, responded in marvellous fashion. Michael Duff and Hyde exchanged passes and all of a sudden Hyde found himself in acres of space and he finished confidently past Brad Friedel.

Blackburn retook control of the game after the interval and soon started to look for another opening but try as they might, Burnley's back-line kept the Premiership side out.

Finally, and somewhat cruelly for the visitors, Rovers found a way through. Pedersen, who had had a good game, led a break down the right and hit a low shot which was blocked by Sinclair, before the loose ball ran for the Norwegian to calmly finish from close range.

After the match Blackburn manager Hughes gave his reaction: "Our performance wasn't what was needed, we made it hard but stuck at it without reaching the level we should.

"Credit to them, they had a game plan and stuck to it and caused us problems.

"But we're in the next round and over the two games we deserved to go through but we'll have to perform a little better if we're to progress further."

Burnley manager Steve Cotterill was disappointed to go out but was naturally proud of the way his players performed: "We've given them a scare and it was tough on our lads. I don't think we deserved that.

"They had the ball but it wasn't hurting us and it was a bitter blow.

"We were confident we could win the game, but it wasn't meant to be. The FA Cup's been kind to us this season but we didn't get the luck tonight."