Blackburn 4 Reading 2

Blackburn 4 (McCarthy 17, 82 (pen), Santa Cruz 22, Tugay 31)
Reading 2 (Doyle 80, 90)

The first real chance of the afternoon fell to Chris Samba, Benni McCarthy had pulled back to Samba but Marcus Hahnemann saved his effort from the edge of the area.

Blackburn went ahead when Brett Emerton crossed to Roque Santa Cruz, he nodded down to Benni McCarthy and he volleyed into the empty net. A patient Blackburn build up saw David Dunn play in Roque Santa Cruz and it was soon 2-0 as he slotted past Marcus Hahnemann.

And it did not take long for another goal, Benni McCarthy’s strike ricocheted around the area before Ibrahima Sonko, making his return, headed clear, Tugay picked this up and then lashed home on the turn from 30 plus yards, Marcus Hahnemann will be thinking he could have done better though. Just over half an hour in and the game was over already.

Leroy Lita was introduced at half time and he soon made an impact forcing Brad Friedel into a save, but then the half passed by with little more threat, until the final ten minutes.

After Michael Duberry had headed against the Blackburn bar Reading got a corner, this time Kevin Doyle made no mistake as he headed home, but it was too little too late.

Even though Reading had a two on one situation at the back Matt Derbyshire was still able to get the better of them and Ibrahima Sonko’s foul on Derbyshire gave Blackburn a penalty. Two minutes after getting a goal back Benni McCarthy converted into the corner to restore the three goal lead.

What looked like a goal kick was given as a Reading corner, and with it one final chance to restore some respectability to the scoreline. Nicky Shorey delivered this but it was cleared away, it came back to the England man and he delivered again for Kevin Doyle to again head home.

Blackburn (4-4-2): Friedel (c), Emerton, Warnock (Khizanishvili 54), Ooijer, Samba; Savage, Tugay, Bentley, Dunn (Pedersen 67); McCarthy, Santa Cruz (Derbyshire 78)
Subs: Brown, Mokoena

Reading (4-5-1): Hahnemann; Murty (c), Shorey, Duberry, Sonko; Bikey (Lita HT), Fae (Doyle 64), Harper, Rosenior (Gunnarsson HT), Hunt, Kitson
Subs: Federici, Ingimarsson