England keeper Tim Flowers was sent off without ever making it onto the pitch
at Highfield Road when he vented his anger at a linesman's penalty decision from
the touchline as Blackburn's European hopes suffered a setback against
Coventry.
Dion Dublin converted the penalty and fit-again George Boateng scored a second
as the Sky Blues won a stormy game in which Blackburn striker Chris Sutton was
fortunate not to have joined team-mate Flowers back in the dressing-room just
minutes later.
Yet while victory kept Coventry's faint UEFA Cup qualification hopes alive and
defeat left Blackburn needing to beat Alan Shearer's Newcastle in their final
game to ensure a place in Europe next season, it was Flowers who was sure to
grab the headlines.
The goalkeeper's World Cup hopes are already in doubt after being left out of
the Blackburn line-up in their last two games despite returning from injury.
And he will have done himself no favours at all by receiving the red card
against Coventry when still on the substitutes' bench.
Flowers was enraged when the referee's assistant spotted a handball by
Blackburn defender Patrik Valery in the penalty area which had been hidden from
referee Steven Lodge.
The official put his flag up and then down again before Lodge, who had
initially waved play on, finally consulted him and awarded Coventry an
18th-minute penalty which Dublin hit confidently past former Sky Blues keeper
John Filan.
But Flowers' anger did not subside and he launched a torrent of abuse at the
official, who promptly told referee Lodge and the keeper received his marching
orders - bizarrely leaving his team still with 11 players on the pitch.
Tempers were already frayed but they increased further when Sutton somehow
escaped with a yellow card four minutes later after hacking down Coventry
midfielder Noel Whelan.
Sutton was angered when the Coventry players prevented him taking a quick
free-kick and when the ball eventually fell to Whelan, the Blackburn striker
arrived late with a reckless tackle.
A mass brawl almost ensued as about 15 players converged in the middle of the
pitch for a shoving match but referee Lodge eventually restored order and Sutton
stayed on the pitch.
Blackburn had their chances to get back into the game, yet first Sutton and
then Jason Wilcox missed good opportunities, and it was instead the Sky Blues
who doubled their advantage on 35 minutes.
Dublin received the ball in the penalty area after some delightful approach
work by Gary Breen and Darren Huckerby and the England hopeful laid a pass into
the path of Boateng as he raced towards goal.
The Dutch midfielder, back after four games out with a thigh muscle injury,
took the ball in his stride and shot past Filan.
Dublin almost scored a third five minutes before the break when he met a cross
from strike partner Huckerby with a thunderous header from six yards out but his
effort hit the angle of crossbar and post, and rebounded to safety.
Blackburn brought on Damien Duff and Martin Dahlin during the second-half as
they tried to get back into the game.
And Sutton almost pulled a goal back when Coventry keeper Magnus Hedman missed
his kick as he and defender Gary Breen tangled when they went to clear a long
through-ball.
Sutton shot towards goal but full-back Roland Nilsson rushed back to clear the
ball off the line.
Both sides had chances to score in the last half-hour. Hedman redeemed himself
by saving brilliantly first from Gallacher and then from Dahlin just three yards
out, while Coventry substitute Viorel Moldovan looked lively when he replaced
Huckerby.
But a game in which so many talking points had been crammed into the first 45
minutes perhaps understandably failed to have a grandstand finish - and just
left Flowers with some explaining to do to manager Roy Hodgson.
Teams:
Coventry: Hedman, Shaw, Burrows, Breen, Nilsson, Whelan, Telfer,
Soltvedt, Boateng (Boland 86), Dublin, Huckerby (Moldovan 68).
Subs Not Used: Ogrizovic, Williams, Hall.
Booked: Huckerby.
Goals: Dublin 19 pen, Boateng 34.
Blackburn: Filan, Kenna, Valery (Duff 45), Hendry, Henchoz,
Croft, Wilcox, Flitcroft, McKinlay (Dahlin 66), Gallacher,
Sutton.
Subs Not Used: Flowers, Ripley, Broomes.
Sent Off: Flowers (21).
Booked: Sutton.
Att: 18,794
Ref: S J Lodge (Barnsley).
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