- McCarthy (18), Santa Cruz (22), Tugay (32), McCarthy (82 pen)
- Doyle (80), Doyle (90)
- Date:2007-10-20
- Kick-off:15:00
- Venue:Ewood Park
- Attendance:19425
- Referee:Marriner, A
Live Commentary
90mins
Full time at Ewood Park and Blackburn take the three points
90mins
A frantic end to a very entertaining game here at Ewood Park
89mins
BLACKBURN 4 - 2 READING (DOYLE): Kevin Doyle with a second goal for Reading after coming on as a substitute here in the second half
89mins
The referee over rules the linesman this time and awards a corner to Reading when the linesman signalled a goal kick
87mins
Confusion between the linesman and the referee after one signalled for a corner to Reading and the other disagreed
85mins
Blackburn have killed off Reading's chances of getting anything from the game and the Royals look depleted all over the pitch
82mins
BLACKBURN 4 - 1 READING (McCARTHY) Benni McCarthy converts the penalty for Rovers and extends their lead once again
82mins
Blackburn are awarded a penalty after Matt Derbyshire was brought down just inside the penalty area
80mins
BLACKBURN 3 - 1 READING: (DOYLE) Kevin Doyle with a consolation goal for Reading
76mins
Roque Santa Cruz is replaced by Matt Derbyshire
73mins
Blackburn have took their foot off the pedal and the game has lost its pace, with Rovers still in total control
71mins
Reading are giving their all to the cause but nothing seems to be going their way this afternoon
69mins
Leroy Lita with another great opportunity for Reading with a superb header that Brad Friedel tipped onto the crossbar and out for a corner
67mins
David Dunn is replaced by Morten Gamst Pedersen
65mins
Stephen Warnock is replaced by Zurab Khizanishvili
63mins
Emerse Fae is replaced by Kevin Doyle
60mins
Blackburn hit Reading on the counter attack with David Bentley weaving in and out of the defence but Tugay was unable to get his strike on target
58mins
A great save by Friedel after Readings best chance of the game with Leroy Lita with a powerful snap shot inside the penalty area but Blackburn cleared the ball from danger
56mins
Reading are lacking a cutting edge and a final product depsite Leroy Lita and Dave Kitson linking up well in attack
54mins
Reading have signalled their intent early in the second half after winning three corners within the first 9 minutes of the restart
52mins
Leroy Lita has brought some life to the Reading side after coming on at half time and looks determined to try and get something from this game
50mins
David Bentley was the man back for Blackburn after he was there to block Lita's shot at the back post from a Reading corner
48mins
Stephen Warnock recieves some treatment after a nasty knock on his ankle
46mins
Andre Bikey and Liam Rosenoir are replaced at half time by Brynjar Gunnarsson and Leroy Lita
46mins
Reading get the game back underway
45mins
Half time here at Ewood Park
45mins
The referee indicates three minutes of added time
43mins
Christopher Samba beat Sonko in the air in the penalty area and should of perhaps got his header on target for Blackburn
41mins
Stephen Warnock got forward from full back and linked up well with McCarthy before crossing the ball straight at Sonko who headed clear for Reading
39mins
Andre Bikey rose like a salmon after a great ball into the box from Harper and got great power behind his header which was unfortuneately hit straight at Friedel in the Rovers goal
37mins
Tugay almost slipping in McCarhty with a clever pass through the channel but Sonko was there for Reading and he cleared the ball to safety
34mins
Brett Emerton and Stephen Hunt get involved in an off the ball incident but both escape a booking and are warned by Referee Mariner
32mins
BLACKBURN ROVERS 3 - 0 READING: (TUGAY): A brilliant thirty yard strike from Tugay which flew into the top corner to put Rovers three up after just half and hour
28mins
Liam Rosenior showed great determination to reach the ball down the right but his cross was nothing special and Brad Friedel came and collected with ease
25mins
Reading already have a bit of a mountain to climb and do not look like creating any real chances here at Ewood Park
22mins
BLACKBURN ROVERS 2 - 0 READING: (SANTA CRUZ): Roque Santa Cruz with a superb finish after brilliant build up play from Blackburn
20mins
Andre Bikey is warned about his future conduct after a crunching tackle on David Bentley but escapes without a yellow card somehow
18mins
BLACKBURN ROVERS 1 - 0 READING (GOAL!!) (McCARTHY) Benni McCarthy puts Rovers ahead after a great pass from Roque Santa Cruz
15mins
Blackburn have been the better team in the opening fifteen minutes and look very dangerous going forward with McCarthy and Santa Cruz up front
12mins
Marcus Hahnemann made a good save to deny Bentley from twelve yards out after the winger had weaved his way inside from the right once again
10mins
Graeme Murty with some good defending up against Benni McCarthy as the South African tried to turn him on the edge of the penalty area
8mins
David Bentley has seen plenty of the ball in the opening ten minutes of the game and looks dangerous down the right hand side for Blackburn
6mins
Great inter play from Reading going forward with Stephen Hunt and James Harper linking up well but Kitson's finish was off target
4mins
Christopher Samba is down in the centre circle with a head injury after a nasty clash with Dave Kitson
2mins
Liam Rosenoir with an early drive down the right hand side but Tugay was there to clean up for Rovers
1mins
Blackburn get the game underway at Ewood Park
0mins
Referee: Andre Marriner (West Midlands)
0mins
Reading are still without the injured Bobby Convey, John Oster, Glen Little and Kalifa Cisse, while Shane Long has not been passed fit for the game. Though Steve Coppell does recall Ibrahim Sonko who makes his first start since January for the Royals
0mins
Mark Hughes is able to recall Roque Santa Cruz to his starting line-up after the striker recovered from his recurrence of tendinitis, however Ryan Nelsen is not yet ready to return from his hamstring injury and does not make the squad.
0mins
Reading Line-up: Hahnemann, Murty, Sonko, Duberry, Shorey, Bikey, Harper, Fae, Rosenior, Kitson, Hunt
0mins
Blackburn Line-up: Friedel, Emerton, Samba, Ooijer, Warnock, Bentley, Savage, Kerimoglu, Dunn, Santa Cruz, McCarthy
Match Preview
Blackburn Rovers face Reading at Ewood Park in a meeting of two sides who exceeded many observers' expectations last season.
Both clubs finished in the top half of the Premier League table and narrowly missed out on automatic qualification for the UEFA Cup, despite flirting with a top-seven place during the final weeks of the campaign.
Blackburn reached Europe via a successful InterToto Cup campaign, but failed to reach the group stages after a surprise 3-2 aggregate defeat by Greek side Larissa earlier this month.
However, despite their continental failure, Mark Hughes' side have risen up to sixth in the league table on the back of successive wins over Sunderland and Birmingham City.
David Bentley and Benni McCarthy were on the mark in the 2-1 victory over Birmingham last time out, but the three points came at a cost as Roque Santa Cruz picked up a knee injury and is unlikely to return at the weekend after missing Paraguay's recent international fixtures.
Elsewhere, Jason Roberts (thigh) and Ryan Nelsen (hamstring) are also rated as doubtful after sitting out the past few weeks.
Reading have endured something of a rollercoaster opening two months of the season.
Steve Coppell's side responded to their 7-4 hammering at Portsmouth earlier in the month with a 1-0 win over Derby County in the last match before the international break.
Coppell demanded an improvement from his side who had, before October began, been languishing close to the relegation zone.
But the Royals have now picked up nine points from the last 12 on offer and have moved up the table to their current 12th position.
The key to their resurgence has been an increase in productivity from strikers Kevin Doyle and Dave Kitson.
Kitson has scored three times in his last four matches, while Doyle's winner against Derby County was his first goal of the season.
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Match Report
Blackburn Rovers showed their European credentials with a fifth consecutive victory.
Three Rovers goals in the opening 30 minutes effectively ended the challenge of Reading, in Steve Coppell's 200th game in charge of the club.
A Benni McCarthy brace, a sixth of the season for Roque Santa Cruz and a goal of the season contender from Tugay capped a fine display from the home side, who held on comfortably for the points despite two late headed goals from substitute Kevin Doyle.
Mark Hughes made one change to the side that defeated Birmingham City 1-0 last time out, with McCarthy making his first start in five games, partnering Santa Cruz in attack, who recovered from tendinitis in time to retain his place in the team.
Reading made three changes to the side that also won 1-0 in their last game, at home to Derby, with Ibrahima Sonko, Andre Bikey and Emerse Fae preferred to Ivar Ingimarsson, Brynjar Gunnarsson and Doyle.
Both sides started well, with James Harper and Liam Rosenior both trying their luck from long range for the visitors, while McCarthy laid the ball off for first Chris Samba and then David Bentley to shoot, with Marcus Hahnemann making two low diving saves.
Rovers were on top and opened the scoring in the 17th minute. Brett Emerton drove down the right from midfield, supplied a deep cross to Santa Cruz to head back across goal from the far post and the unmarked McCarthy coolly volleyed the ball into the empty net.
Five minutes later and Rovers doubled their advantage. Following some delightful one-touch football, David Dunn slipped the ball through to Santa Cruz, who fired through the advancing Hahnemann's legs.
The home side were in complete control and added their third just past the half-hour mark. Dunn almost connected with an over-head kick after McCarthy had drilled a shot across goal, but when the ball was eventually cleared, Tugay let fly an unstoppable half-volley into the top right-hand corner from fully 25 yards.
Reading rarely threatened and with their only real sight of goal, Bikey's free header from Dave Kitson's cross went straight into the arms of Brad Friedel.
The visitors made a double change at the break, but it was Rovers who immediately registered the first effort of the second half, McCarthy fizzing a long-range strike straight at the Reading keeper.
Reading came back into it, with substitute Leroy Lita forcing a smart save from Friedel, before Michael Duberry headed against the Blackburn bar and then Stephen Hunt almost forced the ball over the line.
And with ten minutes remaining, Reading did manage to pull one back. Nicky Shorey swung in a corner from the right and Doyle headed home at the near post.
But the Reading revival was short-lived, as substitute Matt Derbyshire was tripped by Sonko inside the box and McCarthy stroked the ball home from the spot.
The same Reading duo did combine once more, as Shorey's cross was again headed into the top right-hand corner by Doyle on the stroke of 90 minutes, but Rovers were full value for their win.
Blackburn Rovers Team
Reading Team
Blackburn Rovers | Reading |
Corners
| 4 | 9 |
Fouls
| 8 | 7 |
Goal attempts
| 12 | 13 |
Shots off target
| 5 | 5 |
Offsides
| 2 | 4 |



90mins
The fourth official indicates three minutes of added time