Coventry clinched an FA Cup quarter-final home meeting with Chelsea after Leon Best's second-half goal earned them a deserved replay victory over a radically changed Blackburn side at the Ricoh Arena.

Best - wearing a face mask to protect his fractured cheekbone - headed home a 69th-minute centre from Jordan Henderson to seal the Sky Blues' place in the last eight for the first time in 11 years.

Chris Coleman's side were worthy winners against a Blackburn line-up which showed 11 changes from the starting XI against Manchester United in the Premier League at the weekend.

Best was a constant menace in attack, Michael Doyle and Aron Gunnarsson pulled the strings in midfield, and Henderson was a threat on the right flank.

With the Sky Blues holding down a mid-tale place in the Championship, Coleman fielded his strongest available side.

And the former Fulham boss will be striving to pull off another cup shock against Chelsea who were knocked out of the competition by Barnsley last season.

For third from bottom Rovers, surviving in the top flight is now clearly their number one priority given the line-up fielded by Allardyce after the sides had drawn 2-2 at Ewood Park in the first outing.

Traffic congestion outside the Ricoh Arena meant the kick-off was delayed by 15 minutes until 8pm.

Blackburn were the first to threaten and a mix-up between Freddy Eastwood and Ben Turner almost handed them a goal inside the first two minutes.

It needed Sky Blues 'keeper Keiren Westwood to block the eventual shot from a narrow angle by Carlos Villanueva.

But Coventry, unbeaten in their previous four games, looked full of purpose and confidence after defeating the Championship's top two, Wolves and Birmingham, in their previous two home games.

Coventry won their first corner after 20 minutes - and it led to Elliott Ward squandering a golden chance to break the deadlock.

Danny Fox's deep centre picked out the central defender whose downward header contained plenty of power but flew just wide when he would have been expected to at least hit the target.

Gunnarsson became the first player to be yellow carded after 26 minutes for a clumsy touchline challenge on Keith Treacy.

Jason Roberts turned sharply when under pressure from Ward and flashed a low drive just wide with Westwood scrambling across his line after Tugay had played the ball into his feet.

But Clinton Morrison should have given Coventry a 36th-minute lead.

The much travelled striker nipped in ahead of Jason Brown and took the ball away from the keeper but then fired his left-footed shot into the side netting with the goal gaping.

The groans were audible around the Ricoh Arena when the replays were shown of Morrison's miss on the big screen.

Blackburn were now under the cosh and Brown came quickly off his line to save at the feet of Henderson although Westwood did well to block a fierce drive from Treacy just before the interval.

Ward became the second Coventry player to be booked after 48 minutes for bringing down Roberts from behind as he tried to bring the ball away from his own penalty area.

The Sky Blues were looking the more likely to break the deadlock with Gunnarsson pulling the strings in midfield.

Rovers keeper Brown was yellow carded for taking a free-kick from the wrong place near the touch-line - a decision which clearly upset manager Sam Allardyce.

Then after 59 minutes Coventry's pressure paid off when Best put them ahead.

Gunnarsson supplied the cross from the right flank and Best, still wearing a face mask to protect a fractured cheek bone, headed past Brown.

Allardyce decided to make a double change after 67 minutes with Roque Santa Cruz and Stephen Warnock replacing Treacy and Villanueva.

It was Coventry who continued to look the more menacing with Morrison's shot blocked by Danny Simpson and a low Best drive testing Brown.

But in injury-time Christopher Samba headed wide from close range for the visitors.

Teams:

Coventry Westwood, Wright, Ward, Turner, Fox, Henderson, Gunnarsson, Doyle, Eastwood (Simpson 87), Best, Morrison.

Subs Not Used: Marshall, Hall, Beuzelin, Osbourne, Thornton, Cain.

Booked: Gunnarsson, Ward, Westwood.

Goals: Best 59.

Blackburn Brown, Simpson, Samba, Khizanishvili (Givet 81), Olsson, Villanueva (Roque Santa Cruz 68), Mokoena, Kerimoglu, Treacy (Warnock 68), McCarthy, Roberts.

Subs Not Used: Robinson, Nelsen, Pedersen, Doran.

Booked: Brown.

Att: 22,793

Ref: Mike Riley (Yorkshire).