Liverpool face replay after determined Blackburn hold firm at Anfield

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/mar/08/liverpool-blackburn-rovers-fa-cup-match-report

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Long after the final whistle sounded and the majority of Anfield had emptied, 6,000 Blackburn Rovers fans chanted “One Jack Walker” in honour of the benefactor behind their Premier League title win at Liverpool 20 years ago. The celebration was shaped by the past but given fresh voice by the present as Gary Bowyer’s Championship team nullified Liverpool to earn a shot at Wembley on their own terms at Ewood Park.

The Blackburn manager marked the goalless stalemate with a polite wave to the directors’ box, where the travelling contingent were all air-punches and hugs in the front row after watching a resolute display frustrate the in-form team in the Premier League. Blackburn’s post-match reactions were more captivating than the quarter-final that preceded them and, as Bolton Wanderers discovered in the fourth round, a draw at Anfield does not equate to mission accomplished against Brendan Rodgers’ incisive team.

This was a moment to savour for a historic club that had been exposed to ridicule in the years before Bowyer restored stability and sanity to Ewood but one which remains under a transfer embargo.

Rudy Gestede led the Rovers line with towering intent, Lee Williamson and Corry Evans denied Philippe Coutinho, Adam Lallana et al any space to threaten while their backline was marshalled superbly by Matthew Kilgallon and Alex Baptiste.

It often required 10 men behind the ball to keep Liverpool out of harm’s way but it took a superb save from Simon Mignolet to prevent Baptiste scoring the all-important breakthrough. Rodgers bemoaned one or two close penalty calls but had no complaints over the merits of the replay. The first instalment of what the Liverpool manager hopes will be a trophy-winning dynasty continues to be a complication. Liverpool lacked their customary speed and sharpness with and without possession and could not build momentum even after the intensity of their performance increased in the second half.

An inviting draw for Rodgers’ men held no guarantee of Wembley and Liverpool must have realised a long, awkward afternoon was in store the moment they lost Martin Skrtel to a worrying head injury after two minutes.

Gestede was a big, troublesome problem throughout and his first impression involved catching the Liverpool defender in the face with a flailing arm as they challenged for a high ball, although it was Skrtel’s head-first landing that caused the damage. There were worrying scenes as he lay on the pitch for eight minutes, attended by 10 medical staff, before being carried off strapped to a spinal board. Thankfully Skrtel defiantly raised two tattooed arms as he was taken away and his withdrawal was confirmed as a precaution against possible concussion rather than serious injury.

In his absence, and with Emre Can starting in central midfield in place of the injured Joe Allen, the task of containing Rovers’ towering centre-forward fell to Kolo Touré, Skrtel’s replacement, Glen Johnson and Dejan Lovren.

Liverpool’s makeshift back three were stretched frequently before half-time while their array of attacking talent had their own difficulties against Blackburn’s supremely well-organised backline and midfield five. It was not until the second half that Rodgers’ team were able to exert a measure of control on the tie. Williamson typified the visitors’ work rate and tenacity in central midfield, shutting down Can and Coutinho at the earliest opportunity, and Kilgallon had to be on high alert to read Liverpool’s attempted first-time passes into Daniel Sturridge or Raheem Sterling.

The plan almost succeeded on several occasions but Rovers’ goalkeeper, Simon Eastwood, read Liverpool’s intentions well. When Eastwood was beaten by Touré in the 33rd minute, after Sturridge’s header from a Coutinho free-kick fell to the Ivory Coast defender via a Blackburn player, a correct offside call curtailed Anfield’s celebrations. Liverpool also had penalty appeals denied when Kilgallon made a vital interception to dispossess Lallana inside the area but pushed the midfielder in the process and, in the second half, when the Blackburn captain hauled back Sturridge off the ball.

Not that the quarter-final flowed one way. Rovers’ formation prevented Liverpool finding their usual fluency until Rodgers’ side upped their tempo and it also troubled the home defence when the visitors advanced in numbers. Gestede was central to their chances of an upset. The Benin forward outjumped Mignolet at a Tom Cairney free-kick only to head wide, pressured Johnson into diverting Craig Conway’s cross just wide of his own goal and had a half-volley blocked inside the area by Liverpool’s converted left wing-back Sterling.

Gestede’s presence, and a decent first touch, gave Blackburn a potent outlet and they came close to opening the scoring following a flowing move from left to right on the half hour. A series of one-touch passes resulted in Ben Marshall squaring across Liverpool’s penalty area, Gestede dummied and the in-rushing Conway had a glorious opening only to slice wide of Mignolet’s goal. Baptiste went much closer shortly after the restart when he met Conway’s corner with a powerful, free header. The defender’s effort was destined for the roof of the net until the Liverpool goalkeeper showed superb reflexes to tip over from close range.

Thereafter, Liverpool were encamped in and around the Blackburn area but constant pressure did not translate into clear-cut opportunity. Sterling sent a diving header wide and the substitute Mario Balotelli shot over from distance but Eastwood’s goal was relatively untroubled. Liverpool’s intended path to Wembley has taken an unexpected detour.

Man of the match Alex Baptiste (Blackburn Rovers)