[Archived] Fa Cup Semi-final .

[Exiled in Toronto]

Absolutely shattered by that. We had enough chances to win it and came up marginally short.

The Admiral, Dunn and MGP were great. Sadly, Benni and Bentley didn't show up when it counted.

I'm a bit perplexed as to why we seemed to run out of steam before they did after their midweek exertions.

[J-2]

I don't know what to think about today...I really don't. On one hand, Rovers could have been annihilated had Chelsea taken some of the easy chances they missed...but on the other, somehow it still feels like they were lucky to survive. We had our chances as well...which brings me to...

Lampard's goal came from poor defending. I believe Warnock was the culprit, and there was no reason for him to lunge after the ball in his own penalty area. He had enough pace to stay with Lampard at the moment to at least prevent him from having such an open path to the back of the net. Why try to slide tackle in that situation?

After we finally scored, my buddy said if we couldn't score from that much pressure, it would never come. He was right, but also mentioned the hard part now was to maintain that kind of pressure instead of falling into a defensive shell. We did for a while, and I was ready to explode off the couch into the air when MGP had his chance late in the game, and I absolutely knew it would cost us as it sailed wide (past a completely stranded Cech). There is simply no way a world-class player misses that kind of wide open chance, and no team can afford to miss them against a team like Chelsea. You just can't.

Minutes later, all would have been forgiven had that b*****d Terry destroy his team's hopes with an own goal. That may have been a sign it wasn't meant to be.

I now couldn't care less about the final. I despise them both with every fiber of my being, and it won't be an easy summer knowing a place in the final was ours for the taking.

[Italian Rover]

Why?

ET half time 15 minutes COULD be enough for wembley and Europe.

Some fine individual performances there. Dunn's best game since returning, MGP, Nelsen second half just for starters. Gutted.

[Flopsy]

I dont know whats worse to be outclassed (as against Arsenal last semi) or to be this [-] close to getting through.

as I said previously

garaghargh

[AlanK]

Think I would have preferred to be spanked 4-0.

For a good hour I thought we were going to Wembley and that hurts more.

[OJRovers]

just got back to home (didsbury), good effort by the lads I thought we had enough fight to deserve a win. Great support from the bburn fans, the chelsea fans seem to be taking it for granted. If only MGps header had gone in...

[Exiled_Rover]

Proud of the performance today, the team played pretty well. It's difficult to overcome such odds (a shady referee, a limitless transfer fund and negative tactics), but we gave it a real go. We did ourselves plenty of favours today.

Oh and that Cech fella's a bit of a player isn't he?!

[Eddie]

ET half time 15 minutes COULD be enough for wembley and Europe.

Some fine individual performances there. Dunn's best game since returning, MGP, Nelsen second half just for starters. Gutted.

Oh no I get how it would of worked, I just don't know why he had to say it. I'll blame him.

[Eddie]

Lampard's goal came from poor defending. I believe Warnock was the culprit, and there was no reason for him to lunge after the ball in his own penalty area. He had enough pace to stay with Lampard at the moment to at least prevent him from having such an open path to the back of the net. Why try to slide tackle in that situation?

That was Nelsen.

[RovertheHill]

Just got back. Shattered. Rovers fans were brilliant - I couldn't hear Chelsea apart from immediatly after their goals. Team played really well - I think the difference on the day was the mental strength that comes from winning trophies. Old Trafford is crap. I thought the legroom in the BBE was bad but jeez - no wonder they cram that many in the ground. Add in the vertigo feeling, the fact that you could only get Budweiser there (don't know why I'm surprised) and no big-screen I don't understand why they rave about it on TV. Chelsea moan about every decision and I don't know why because they get 90% of the 50-50's. And Joe Cole acts that much he should be in Eastenders.

Really thought we were going to new Wembley...

[Eddie]

Absolutely shattered by that. We had enough chances to win it and came up marginally short.

The Admiral, Dunn and MGP were great. Sadly, Benni and Bentley didn't show up when it counted.

I'm a bit perplexed as to why we seemed to run out of steam before they did after their midweek exertions.

I thought Benni was top-class today. Worked his socks off and it isn't his fault he had nothing of any substance to really feed off of. He did everything that could have been expected of him other than to score a goal from nothing. Every player put in a good performance today. Roberts worked hard as well up top and caused Chelsea problems, did well with his goal and showed brilliant skill for the turn and shot a little earlier on. We can't expect our strikers to score goals if they aren't given chances, Roberts got the chances and everything else fell to midfielders. I also think that is a bit harsh with Bentley as well, he wasn't at his best but put in some good balls, including that fantastic ball to Pedersen.

[Guest shoppybrfc]

Roberts turn in the box for his shot was helped by his heavy first touch, it wasnt 'brilliant skill' just luck.

[LeChuck]

Lampard's goal came from poor defending. I believe Warnock was the culprit

No, it wasn't Warnock.

Nelsen can talk about people 'not putting in a shift' all he wants, he's not asked to run around the field. He has one job; defend. Today, for the first goal he was three yards deeper than everyone else, therefore playing everyone onside. Not only that, he lunged at Lampard when should have been concentrating on standing his ground. For the second, he lets Wright-Phillips get a cross in relatively unchallenged (ironically standing his ground when he should have thrown his body at it). I'm not doubting his talent or what he's done for us in the past, but today he has cost us a place in the FA Cup Final.

However, that's the only negative over with. And it was the only negative, as a team we were superb. We made Chelsea look incredibly ordinary. The midfield looked as balanced and as energetic as it has done for a long time. Dunn has taken some criticism on here, and rightly so, but today he was terrific. He was finally putting his 'size' to good use, throwing himself into tackles and rolling challenges. If he's prepared to put himself about like that in every game, and not just semi-finals, then there may just well be a place for him central midfield. I'm not sure how many caught this on TV, but the camera was focussing on Hughes at half-time in extra-time. He'd obviously just told Dunn he was going off and he looked distraught. You have to wonder why, if Dunn felt he could carry on, he was taken off.

Warnock was also superb at the back. I just love the way he throws himself into challenges, dusts himself off and then comes back for more. Considering he's had two broken legs and was labelled a sicknote by some, he looks as robust as anyone on the field. The front two lacked pace but were very industrious and linked the play well. I struggled to seperate McCarthy and Roberts from a distance (this will be quoted by AESF no doubt) so I won't single either one out, apart from congratulating Roberts on his first goal for us.

The feeling of 'what might have been' will be hard to shake off, especially with Pedersen's header towards the end of the second half, but my overiding feeling is of pride at the moment. I was expecting the worst after Lampard scored, but we responded brilliantly. I genuinely have the feeling that if we can add a pacey striker to our frontline then we could be in for something special next season, providing we keep our manager and key players together.

[philipl]

We played really well and just didn't get the bit of luck we needed. Chelsea could have had no complasints had we beaten them.

Proud of all the lads and everyone associated with Blackburn Rovers FC

[Andy Kennedys Hairdo]

Just walked in now. Outstanding effort from all concerned today - players, fans, staff etc. Fantastic ! Just hope that the disappointment of losing this game isn't going to have a negative effect on the rest of the season. Hughes is going to have to pick all the players up off the dressing room floor and make sure that they aren't feeling sorry for themselves because there's still some big games left to play.

Just heard Mourinho's post match comments too. Fair play to him. He's gone up in my estimation. Just a little bit, mind.

[Eddie]

God I hate football sometimes.

[Guest Kamy100]

Gutted but very proud of the team and fans.

The second half performance was immense, at times in the second half it looked like Chelsea were panicking, key moment as others have said was the MGP header at the end, the margin between winning and losing is waifer thin, and against world class opposition you have to take those type opportunities as in the end they will make you pay.

Still very proud of all associated with Rovers, despite the result it was a fantastic day for all concerned with the club and definately wipes away the memories of the Arsenal Semi in Cardiff

[Antgrad]

Just back from the game and thought I'd better post what's fresh in my mind before I read and see anything else.

I though the fans and players but for one very notable exception were fantastic today. We completely outsung them the whole match even when they were winning and I thought we were by far the better team in the second half. Roberts was an inspirational pick by Hughes. I've never seen anyone beat Terry as much in the air or give him a constant problem. McCarthy was a waste of space. I can't remember a single thing he did right.

It was amost, almost the perfect day out.

[colin]

Got back about an hour ago.

I'm somehow both gutted and elated. The former is easily understood; the latter because we took Chelsea to extra time and made them work their balls off to beat us. It was not like Watford v The Red Scum, we took then *that* close to penalties.

Our support made the hairs on the back of my neck tingle and nearly brought a tear to my eye. That a relatively small place like Blackburn could drum up such support and good humour and a sense of "belonging" was magnificent.

I'm too long in the tooth to bang on about being "Proud to be a Rover," but just for now I really am. Thanks to everyone who came along and made a great atmosphere.

And if by some minute chance you happen to be reading this and you are the Chelsea fans who asked a Rovers' fan on a bike if he'd cycled to Old Trafford from Blackburn, I was fibbing.

[frosty]

Our second half performance was excellent, no one could have complained about us not being able to win if Pedersen had buried that header. Also agree about the legroom - hardly any at all.

[Alan75]

Our support made the hairs on the back of my neck tingle and nearly brought a tear to my eye. That a relatively small place like Blackburn could drum up such support and good humour and a sense of "belonging" was magnificent.

Know what you mean Colin. The hair on my neck started to tingle to

And I would walk 500 more

Just to be the man who walked a thousand miles

To fall down at your door

da da da (da da da)

da da da (da da da)

da da da (da da da)

da da da (da da da)

da da da (da da da)

da da da (da da da)

Da Da Da Dun Diddle Un Diddle Un Diddle Uh Da Da

da da da (da da da)

da da da (da da da)

[grizfoot]

If only Pedersen had burried that header .....

Oh well it wasn't meant to be. Can't say the lads didn't give it their whole. If I was being picky I'd have brought on Derbyshire much early Benni & Roberts upfront tired especially evident during extra time.

[mike at picture]

Just in. So proud to be a Rover.

[Rovers_4_life]

Was a great day and marvellous second half performance deserving of a win, absolutely gutted at the end, thought we had em goin that second half and to lose to a bunch of diving, cheating, overpaid and overrated bunch was hard to swallow, but couldnt be more proud of the team, shame we haven't played with so much effort the last few weeks or we might still have a chance of Europe by the league!

Anybody notice Tugay went straight down the tunnel at full time, obviously annoyed he didnt get in but not like him to applaud the fans.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Just got back from the game, down but not out- we gave it our best shot and just came up short, if we were ever going to win that game that header had to go in, lovely cross , goalie on his heels , Pedersen gets up great, all it needed was a firm header half way between post and goalie. In his infinite wisdom Pedersen decides to finesse it instead and glances it out off the up right.

Gilt edged chance to win in the last five mins goes begging- you just know we'll have to pay for that and we do.

It's a shame for the lad because apart from that he had a good game and was one of our better players.

They were there for the taking today, even Chelsea can't carry players for a full game .It was a very ordinary performance from Chelsea in the first half but we never really got going, second half was a different story Rovers played really strongly ,got a well deserved equaliser and took the game so close on several occasions. Extra time was more even but our lack of a cutting edge up front told in the end, I was not impressed with our front two but I will admit the service they got wasn't great.