Summary:

City left Ewood Park rueing missed chances and defensive lapses as they went down 4-2 to Blackburn Rovers. The hosts took the lead after City had several opportunities to score, and then after a crazy end to the first half saw the game level at 2-2 Rovers stretched away in the second half.

Team news: Didi Hamann made his long-awaited debut for City, and Hatem Trabelsi started for the first time on the right of midfield having appeared as a substitute at Reading. Sinclair shifted to the left flank, and DaMarcus Beasley was on the bench.

The Match

City were wearing their blaze yellow away kit on an overcast day in east Lancashire.

Trevor Sinclair nearly made a fantastic start to the game when he forced Brad Friedel into tipping the ball round his left post with a low right-footed shot in the very first minute.

Seven minutes had gone when Trabelsi found Dickov in acres of space on the edge of the area, but the Scot could not find the target against his old side and his shot on the turn went just wide of Friedel’s left post. Dickov had another effort a minute later from inside the box, Blackburn’s keeper diving to his right to save.

City were on top and on 10 minutes Trabelsi went close to a debut goal when his left-footed shot from 20 yards went a yard wide of Friedel’s right post.

Barton missed a golden opportunity after 15 minutes, Trabelsi touched a high ball across to the midfielder in yards of space eight yards out but he could only put the ball high over the bar with his first-time shot.

But then City fell behind against the run of play in unlucky circumstances. Pedersen swung in a free kick on 18 minutes that was going straight at goal but it touched Trevor Sinclair’s head and cruelly flew past Weaver into the bottom corner of the net. Rovers had not threatened the City goal prior to this, but were now one up.

Both sets of fans were right to be stunned by the goal, but City went back at the home side and won a free kick 20 yards out. Barton took it and Neill, running backwards, had to leap to head it away from the top corner of the net.

Trabelsi, who had looked impressive, pulled up in the 33rd minute when trying to run onto a pass from Barton. The Tunisian was replaced by new loan signing DaMarcus Beasley, who went onto the left flank with Sinclair going over to the right.

Barton had another chance on 37, but his shot from inside the area was deflected away by Friedel’s feet.

However justice was served a minute later, and it was Joey Barton who gave City the goal they deserved. Paul Dickov found the midfielder in yards of space and after running into the box, Barton steadied himself and put the ball to Friedel’s left and into the net. The City fans at the end opposite to the goal went wild and Stuart Pearce could be seen urging more noise from them.

But then there was an astonishing end to the half as both sides traded goals. First of all, Pedersen scored from a free kick that eluded the City defence, Weaver possibly being deceived by a Rovers runner coming across as if to head it.

With the home fans now celebrating, City attacked down the right and Corradi drilled the ball across the box but as the ball came over it went into Ooijer’s path and the defender looked on in horror as it came off him and nestled in Friedel’s net.

Richards had the first chance of the second half, heading a corner straight at Friedel.

The game became lively with a spate of bookings for both sides, but on 66 minutes Rovers went back into the lead. City were caught napping at a quickly taken throw in, and Benni McCarthy was free in the area to roll the ball home.

Samaras, on as a replacement for Dickov, tried a snap-shot on 75 but it went straight at Friedel.

With six minutes left, Barton flung in a corner from the left and Micah Richards, charging in from the edge of the box, leapt and connected but his header flew over the bar.

Time was running out for City, and then with a minute of normal time left Rovers drilled the final nail into the coffin. Emerton broke down the right and crossed to Paul Gallagher, who drove home high into the net from near the penalty spot.

There was still time for Weaver to deny Nonda with his legs in stoppage time, but that was the last meaningful action of the match.