Blackburn rue many missed chances

Blackburn Rovers 1 Genclerbirligi 1 (Genclerbirligi win 4-2 on aggregate)

Trailing 3-1 from the first leg to Genclerbirligi, the return at Ewood Park always looked as if it would be a bridge too far for Rovers.

Blackburn, though, only have themselves to blame, spurning enough chances over the 90 minutes in the return last night to have cantered into tomorrow's second-round draw, hitting the bar on three occasions.

The UEFA Cup, however, has certainly proved Blackburn's undoing over the years in 10 matches and four campaigns they have yet to taste victory, registering four draws and six defeats.

History was also against Rovers it is now 15 ties, 11 domestically and four in Europe, in which they have trailed in the first leg and failed to stage a comeback

Yet Souness could be said to have made a move which backfired from the off as he opted for the inexperienced pairing of Matt Jansen and Corrado Grabbi in attack, the latter making his first start of the season.

Robbed of Andy Cole to a neck injury, Souness chose to surprisingly leave the more renowned duo of Dwight Yorke and Dino Baggio on the bench, only introducing the pair on the hour mark with Blackburn still chasing the game.

The missed opportunities were beginning to look costly with the Turks tightening up as the half wore on.

Rovers finally made the breakthrough in the 64th minute with Jansen driving home after his initial shot had been saved by Botonjic.

But Blackburn were guilty of going to sleep in defence a minute later, with the clean-sheet Souness demanded for the first time this season going when Reid lost the ball in the area and Mustafa Ozkan firing past Friedel.

In the closing 15 minutes El Saka cleared off the line from Jansen, Botonjic brilliantly clawed away a top-right corner bound Thompson free-kick, while Tugay saw a drive deflected onto the bar by Serkan Balci. It was clearly not Blackburn's night.

BLACKBURN: Friedel, Reid, Amoruso, Todd (Martin Taylor 77), Gresko (Yorke 62), Emerton, Flitcroft, Tugay, Thompson, Jansen, Grabbi (Baggio 60).

GENCLERBIRLIGI: Botonjic, El Saka, Bozkurt, Mercimek, Baris, Tandogan, Balci, Skoko (Karaman 89), Daems, Ozkan (Ozbey 75), Youla (Cihan 83).

Referee: Eric Braamhaar (Holland).