Coventry simply the Best over sorry Blackburn

1987 FA Cup winners Coventry pulled off a shock victory in this season’s edition as they knocked out Premier League Blacburn Rovers 1-0 in their fifth round replay to reach the quarter-finals.

Leon Best was their hero in more ways than one as wearing a face mask because of a broken cheekbone he headed home in the 59th minute to earn a lucrative home clash with Chelsea on the weekend of March 6-7 for their first appearance in the last eight in 11 years.

Coventry manager Chris Coleman – who had a spell playing for Blackburn – lauded his players and licked his lips in anticipation at the thought of entertaining Chelsea.

“The Cup has been important to us this season,” said the former Fulham and Real Sociedad manager.

“A quarter-final at home to Chelsea is brilliant.

“It will be great for the fans who are desperate for success. Coventry have not been in the top flight for seven or eight years and have had a lot of financial problems.

“The people in the city are hungry and desperate for the football team to do well.”

His Blackburn counterpart Sam Allardyce had made 11 changes to the side that played in the Premiership last weekend but even so he was not happy with the performance.

“I made 11 changes and you give the people the stage to show what they can do and can they play better than they talk,” said Allardyce, whose side face a crucial relegation tussle with out of form Hull this weekend.

“That was the case in the first-half but in the second-half we talked a lot better than we played.”

Coventry’s fellow Championship side Swansea looked set to join them in the last eight as they led another Premier League outfit Fulham 1-0 with 13 minutes remaining thanks to a goal from Jason Scotland – his 19th of the season.

However, Fulham dashed the Welsh side’s hopes of their first FA Cup quarter-final in 45 years as American Clint Dempsey struck in the 77th minute and then four minutes later Bobby Zamora struck his second goal in as many games after a long drought to earn them a home tie with Manchester United.

Wednesday sees the all-Premiership fifth round replay between West Ham and strugglers Middlesbrough.