Hughes in need of Sky Blue thinking

THE margin of Coventry’s victory was as convincing as it was alarming for Mark Hughes, the Blackburn Rovers manager.

Out-thought and largely out-played by a side languishing one division and 28 places below them, Hughes declared his side’s performance to be “unacceptable”, a view that received unanimous support from all corners of Ewood Park.

The day was all about Coventry’s outstanding achievement in defying a one-sided form book, a suitable fanfare ahead of the expected conclusion of the takeover of the club today that promises relief from the financial crisis that has gripped the club for months.

A lucrative draw in the fourth round draw this lunchtime will cap an almost perfect weekend for the East Midlands club that has experienced few highlights since slipping out of the Premier League seven years ago and only add to the euphoria that was generated by two goals from Michael Mifsud, an Elliott Ward penalty and Dele Adebola’s fine individual effort on Saturday.

Iain Dowie’s declared ambition to provide the club’s supporters with something other than the 1987 FA Cup final victory to talk about may still seem far-fetched but few would have denied the City manager his moment of wishful thinking in the aftermath of this win.

In stark contrast, Hughes was left to contemplate the fact that what he might have previously seen as flaws in his squad have suddenly started to appear as glaring blemishes.

Blackburn’s league form in the run up to the festive programme was decidedly shaky with the Rovers defence suddenly looking suspect and deeper problems perhaps masked by the outstanding form of Roque Santa Cruz up front.

Santa Cruz was missing on Saturday, out with a groin problem, and in his place, the makeshift pairing of Benni McCarthy and Maceo Rigters looked anything but convincing. The midfield areas were no better and with Hughes having decided Robbie Savage is free to leave, he will now be in no doubt that he must strengthen that area during the current transfer window.

“Certain things had to be said after the game — I didn’t enjoy it and I don’t think anyone connected with Blackburn Rovers enjoyed it,” said Hughes. “It’s not what we expect and it’s not what we’re going to get from now on in.”

The fact that Elliott Ward, the Coventry centre-back, could muse on the frustration of conceding an 85th-minute David Bentley goal that blemished an almost perfect scoreline spoke volumes about the balance of the game as a whole.

“We more than matched them and it could have been a four-niller but that’s the way it goes,” said Ward.

From the moment Mifsud’s deflected shot looped over Brad Friedel for the 34th minute opening goal, Blackburn were at sea and seemingly incapable of mounting a coordinated response to unpick the visitors’ well-organised defence.

Zurab Khizanishvili’s foolish barge on Leon Boost conceded a 64th minute penalty converted by Ward and, with Blackburn flailing in attack, Adebola skipped through a flimsy rearguard to make it three with seven minutes remaining.

Bentley’s consolation was too little, too late and was quickly cancelled out by Mifsud’s second in added time.

BLACKBURN (4-4-2): Friedel 6, Emerton 5 (Pedersen 60, 4), Samba 7, Khizanishvili 3, Berner 4, Bentley 6, Tugay 6, Mokoena 4, Treacy 6 (Derbyshire 69, 6), Rigters 4 (Nelsen 60, 4), McCarthy 5.

Subs Not Used: Brown, Warnock

COVENTRY (4-5-1): Konstantopoulos 6, Osbourne 7, Ward 8, Turner 7, Borrowdale 7, Mifsud 9, Tabb 9, Hughes 8, Doyle 7, Adebola 7, Best 8.

Subs Not Used: De Zeeuw, Kyle, Simpson, Gray, Thornton

REFEREE: Lee Probert (Gloucestershire)8: Had little need to brandish his cards and got most of the big decisions right, including Coventry’s second-half penalty.

MATCH RATING **** Everybody — apart from Mark Hughes — loves a cup upset, particularly when it comes on the back of an exciting high-tempo battle and capped by three outstanding goals.