- McCarthy (45), Roberts (84)
- Sturridge (88), Robinho (90)
- Date:2008-12-28
- Kick-off:16:15
- Venue:Ewood Park
- Attendance:25200
- Referee:Webb, H
Live Commentary
90mins
The whistle finally goes and the points are shared at Ewood Park.
90mins
Robinho is left unmarked from Daniel Sturridge's pass and slots the ball past Paul Robinson for a dramatic late equaliser.
90mins
Ryan Nelsen goes into the book.
87mins
Daniel Sturridge beats Paul Robinson with a low left-foot-volley to give City hope.
87mins
Daniel Sturridge finds Robinho who tries to take on the whole Blackburn defence and loses the ball.
85mins
Benni McCarthy is replaced by Matt Derbyshire.
84mins
Jason Roberts loses the City defenders and heads Rovers further into the lead.
83mins
There's a sense of urgency about City now as they try to find an equaliser.
81mins
Micah Richards hooks the ball across the goal but it trickles behind for a goalkick.
80mins
City counterattack but Christopher Samba is able to deflect Robinho's effort behdind for a corner.
80mins
Jason Roberts wins a free-kick off Micah Richards to relieve some of the pressure on Rovers.
78mins
Christopher Samba produces an excellent tackle to deny Robinho as City exchange passes.
76mins
Manchester City are trying to step up the pressure but Rovers are defending well so far.
75mins
Jason Roberts hacks down Darius Vassell but no yellow card is shown.
73mins
Aaron Mokoena comes on for Kerimoglu Tugay.
72mins
The flag goes up as Benni McCarthy races on to a Tugay pass.
72mins
Shaun Wright-Phillips tries a long-range effort but it goes well wide.
70mins
Darius Vassell is on for Elano and Daniel Sturridge replaces Felipe Caicedo.
68mins
Robinho shoots straight into the arms of Paul Robinson in a rare City break.
66mins
City have been under almost non-stop pressure as the Blackburn corner count grows.
65mins
Micah Richards comes on for Nedum Onuoha.
64mins
Shaun Wright-Phillips has a long-range effort which takes a deflection and trickles through to Paul Robinson.
62mins
Elano goes down theatrically in the area and nothing is given.
60mins
Benni McCarthy's overhead kick goes wide and Morten Gamst Pedersen isn't happy the ball wasn't allowed to reach him.
59mins
City need to get a foothold in the game as they haven't been in it so far this half.
57mins
Morten Gamst Pedersen's corner is swung in, hits a Rovers player on its way through and goes out for a goal-kick.
56mins
Stephen Ireland needs to be careful after making another strong challenge and receives a talking-to from Howard Webb.
55mins
Morten Gamst Pedersen's throw finds Jason Roberts on the turn in the area but he can't make proper contact.
53mins
Stephen Ireland is booked for a strong challenge on Stephen Warnock.
51mins
Shaun Wright-Phillips hits the post and then Stephen Ireland's effort goes wide in a good 30 seconds for City.
49mins
Intricate passing from Rovers ends with Andre Ooijer sidefooting the ball straight to Joe Hart.
48mins
Benni McCarthy is enjoying himself tonight, backheeling the ball to a team-mate.
46mins
Early Rovers pressure as Brett Emerton smashes a volley over the crossbar.
46mins
The second half gets underway.
45mins
City will feel they should have been awarded a penalty but they trail thanks to that McCarthy goal right on half-time.
45mins
Benni McCarthy reacted first to a loose ball in the box and his low right-foot finish beat Joe Hart.
44mins
The pace of the game has slowed right down as City's players exchange passes in midfield.
42mins
Benni McCarthy has a half-chance but sends the ball over the bar.
40mins
Kerimoglu Tugay receives his final warning from the referee after fouling Stephen Ireland.
38mins
Stephen Warnock is back on after some treatment from the physio.
37mins
Stephen Warnock is down receiving treatment.
36mins
The game has settled down now after that frantic opening.
34mins
Elano takes a big run-up but blasts the free-kick well wide from 30 yards.
33mins
Kerimoglu Tugay is booked for a sliding challenge on Robinho.
31mins
Joe Hart does well to prevent a corner from Rovers pressure.
30mins
Blackburn are keeping possession well now after those early scares.
28mins
Neither side is afraid to go forward for the win, with both clubs needing the points.
26mins
Elano clips the ball forward to Felipe Caicedo in a quick free-kick but Paul Robinson is alive to the danger.
25mins
Jason Roberts' effort is blocked by the City defence.
24mins
Both sides are working hard to close each other down.
22mins
Vincent Kompany has a long-range shot which is blasted wide.
20mins
Brett Emerton is penalised for high feet against Stephen Ireland and City have a free-kick.
18mins
Jason Roberts picks up a poor clearance from Joe Hart but can't make the most of the chance and City clear the danger.
17mins
Benni McCarthy tries to flick the ball goalwards from the corner but it goes wide.
16mins
Blackburn have a corner and the noise levels increase inside Ewood Park.
14mins
It's been a frantic start to the game.
12mins
Blackburn attack but Jason Roberts is flagged offside.
11mins
Robinho should have scored with a header from six yards out after a great run and cross from Felipe Caicedo but his effort goes wide.
9mins
City appeal for a penalty after Robinho appears to be tripped by Andre Ooijer but nothing is given by Howard Webb.
8mins
Brett Emerton's cross is aimed at Benni McCarthy but is cleared by City.
5mins
Brett Emerton hits the ball into the City wall and it's deflected into the arms of Joe Hart.
4mins
Blackburn have a free-kick in a dangerous area after a Richard Dunne foul on Jason Roberts.
3mins
Felipe Caicedo toe-pokes the ball over the bar from close range.
2mins
There's a good atmosphere at Ewood Park but it's City who have started the brighter.
1mins
The game is underway.
0mins
Blackburn are bottom of the league after the earlier results and need a result against Manchester City.
Match Preview
Blackburn Rovers, who drew a blank but gained a point on Friday, face a Manchester City side full of confidence after their Boxing Day knockout of Hull CIty.
Sam Allardyce's second game in charge of Rovers was less impressive than the 3-0 win over Stoke City a week ago, although the former Newcastle United boss was more than happy with their post-Christmas showing.
"At the end of the day it's four points our of six, it's another clean sheet, it's the basis of good things to help us get out of the position we are in," Allardyce said after the draw with Sunderland.
The win over Stoke had ended a six-match losing sequence in the Premier League and was their first three-point haul since late September, an 11-match winless run.
Rovers will now be hoping to create a record of equal length but opposite reward, although they will have to manage without captain Ryan Nelsen after the defender suffered a cut over his eye on Friday.
His absence should be quick, even a place in the squad this weekend is a possibility, but the hamstring injury picked up by David Dunn in the same match is feared to be a little more serious.
They are both joined on the sidelines by star striker Roque Santa Cruz, who has been linked with a move to Manchester City in January, while Vince Grella and Martin Olsson are almost match-fit after leg injuries.
City boss Mark Hughes may be disappointed not to see Cruz, who he has identified as a potential partner for top-scorer Robinho, especially with the Brazilian's fellow forward Felipe Caicedo an injury doubt.
The Ecuadorian, who has burst onto the Premier League scene with three goals in his first two games, faces a late fitness test - as does key defender Micah Richards.
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Match Report
Manchester City scored two late goals to salvage a dramatic draw against Blackburn Rovers on Mark Hughes' eagerly-awaited return to Ewood Park.
Goals from Benni McCarthy and Jason Roberts looked to have secured three precious points for bottom-of-the-table Blackburn, but substitute Daniel Sturridge scored one and then set up Robinho's equaliser in the last minute of the game.
That's now three games unbeaten for new Blackburn boss Sam Allardyce, but the sequence would seem scant reward for his side, who created countless chances and took a two-goal lead in the 84th minute of the game.
For Hughes, however, who led Blackburn to three successive top-flight finishes before moving to Eastlands in the summer, inconsistency continues to prove costly, with his side winning just two of their last 11 league games.
Before kick-off, both sides were forced to make a change apiece from their last outings, with Tugay replacing the injured David Dunn for the hosts and Nedum Onuoha coming in for Micah Ricahrds, who was only fit enough to claim a place on the Manchester City bench.
In bitterly cold conditions, both sides started brightly, with the visitors close to taking the lead with less than two minutes on the clock. Michael Ball swung in a corner from the right, Vincent Kompany headed down, but Felipe Caicedo - who scored twice in City's Boxing Day blitz at home to Hull - fired over at full stretch.
Straight up the other end, Roberts was brought down by Richard Dunne on the edge of the area and Brett Emerton's free-kick appeared to strike Stephen Ireland's arm inside the box.
City had appeals for a penalty themselves moments later when Robinho claimed he was clipped by Andre Ooijer, but again referee Howard Webb remained unmoved.
Robinho, who also bagged a brace during the week, ought to have grabbed his third goal in as many days when Caicedo put a cross for him on a plate, but the unmarked Brazilian somehow headed wide.
On 25 minutes, Morten Gamst Pedersen picked out Roberts with a ball over the top, but after turning brilliantly inside Onuoha, the former Grenada international was denied by Dunne's great goal-saving tackle.
Less than 60 seconds later, City too opted for the direct approach, as Kompany's quick free-kick spotted the run of Caicedo, but Paul Robinson came rushing out of his goal to Rovers' rescue.
After such an open 45 minutes of football, it was only a matter of time before the deadlock was broken and the home side duly obliged right on the stroke of half-time.
Emerton's cross found its way through to Roberts, who spun superbly past two City defenders, leaving space for McCarthy to coolly slot the ball into the bottom corner of the net.
Rovers started the second half in much the same vein as they had ended the first, with Emerton firing high over the bar less than a minute in, before Ooijer ended a well-worked move which he had started himself with a shot straight into the arms of Joe Hart.
The visitors weren't without their chances however, with two falling in the space of a minute. From Elano's pin-point cross, Shaun Wright-Phillips' backwards header bounced back off the post and Ireland curled an effort inches wide of the far post on the follow-up.
Hughes used up all three subs as he sought a route back into the game, but it was the home side who thought they'd wrapped it up with their second of the game. On 84 minutes, Ooijer's free-kick was flicked to the back post by Samba and man-of-the-match Roberts headed past Hart into the top corner of the net.
But City refused to give up and reduced the arrears just four minutes later. After some fancy footwork by Robinho on the edge of the Rovers' box, his chip was only half headed clear by Ooijer and super sub Sturridge volleyed home.
And in the fourth and final minute of time added on, the skilful City striker skipped past two Rovers challenges before playing in the unmarked Robinho on the far side and the Brazilian bagged his 12th of the season with a neat finish under Robinson.
Blackburn Rovers Team
Manchester City Team
Blackburn Rovers | Manchester City |
Corners
| 4 | 3 |
Fouls
| 14 | 9 |
Goal attempts
| 11 | 13 |
Shots off target
| 5 | 9 |
Offsides
| 5 | 2 |
90mins
The Blackburn fans are desperately calling for the final whistle.