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Cypher-
16-04-2005, 01:59 PM
Here is the match report from today's semi-final match between the mighty Arsenal and Blackburn, courtesy of arsenal.com.

ARSENAL
3
Pires 42
Van Persie 86, 90
BLACKBURN ROVERS
0
-


By Chris Harris

Robin van Persie scored two superb goals in the last five minutes to ensure Arsenal will return to Cardiff next month to contest another FA Cup final.

Robert Pires struck three minutes before half-time, stabbing Kolo Toure's low cross past Brad Friedel to liven up an uninspiring and often niggly game.

That seemed to be enough for the Gunners but Van Persie came off the bench to add a silver lining and maintain Arsenal's love affair with the competition.

Arsene Wenger has only suffered one defeat in his last 25 FA Cup ties. Now the Arsenal manager can look forward to a fourth final in five years.

Wenger made two changes from the team which won against Middlesbrough last weekend. A groin injury ruled out Thierry Henry and Cesc Fabregas dropped to the bench.

Dennis Bergkamp returned to partner Jose Antonio Reyes up front and Freddie Ljungberg was restored to the right flank on his 28th birthday.

Wenger opted against a third change, omitting Sol Campbell and keeping faith with the centre-back pairing of Toure and Philippe Senderos which has served Arsenal so well recently.

They were certainly tested in the opening exchanges as the Gunners took time to find their feet, quite literally at times with various players slipping while in possession.

In contrast, Rovers settled quickly. Morten Gamst Pedersen, earmarked by Wenger as a real danger, curled a free-kick over the bar after five minutes following a foul by Patrick Vieira.

Two minutes later Arsenal were rescued by the linesman. Paul ****ov raced through and looked just onside, but a flag stopped him in his tracks.

Rovers continued to press and Vieira conceded another free-kick just outside the area. This time Pedersen touched it to Steven Reid but his fierce low shot was held by Jens Lehmann.

Arsenal looked anything but Cup favourites at this point but you felt that Rovers needed to score while they were in the ascendancy and their opponents were in the doldrums.

Gradually, Arsenal emerged from their shell. Dennis Bergkamp earned a free-kick after 15 minutes after fine skill in the right channel, but his teasing delivery was cleared.

A marauding run from Vieira hinted at better things to come but the Arsenal fans had to wait until the half-hour mark to see a shot on target.

Vieira found Reyes on the right and the Spaniard cut inside his marker to fire in a left-foot shot, but it lacked power and Friedel gathered comfortably.

The game continued in a mundane vein but, after a pedestrian first 38 minutes, it sprang to life with a wonderful double save from Friedel.

The ball broke to Bergkamp on the edge of the box. He slipped it through to Reyes who poked a low shot towards the corner, but Friedel flung out a hand to deny the Spaniard. Pires was first to the loose ball but Friedel got up quickly to block his drive.

Pires' gloom soon turned to glee. Four minutes later, Vieira's dinked cross found Toure lurking on the left-hand side of the area. He prodded a low ball across the six-yard box and Pires, unmarked, stabbed it past Friedel.

It was just what the game needed. Blackburn simply had to take more risks after the interval but, in doing so, there was more space for Arsenal to exploit. They did so with relish.

Gilberto, a scorer at the Community Shield last August, was denied a second goal of the season in Cardiff when Friedel brilliantly turned aside his powerful drive after Vieira's cut-back.

Then Cesc Fabregas, on as a substitute for Ljungberg, found space in the area only to see his powerful shot blocked by a defender.

Arsenal were clearly enjoying themselves in the sunshine. Shouts of 'Ole' even rang out from the red-and-white end of the stadium. But with half-an-hour to go there was still work to do.

Brett Emerton reminded Arsenal of that with a decent effort after 63 minutes. The Rovers winger cut inside from the left and tried his luck but Lehmann got everything behind the ball.

Rovers pushed men forward in search of an equaliser and tested the Gunners with a string of crosses into the box. Toure and Senderos stood firm.

Mark Hughes threw Robbie Savage into the fray to add even more grit to Rovers' engine room but another midfielder, Fabregas, almost put the tie beyond doubt 10 minutes from time. He held off a challenge to charge through the centre but his low shot was finger-tipped wide by Friedel.

The Blackburn goalkeeper excelled again seconds later, denying Gilberto twice from close range after Bergkamp's free-kick from the right. The flag was up for offside but it didn't detract from the American's reflexes.

Wenger replaced Bergkamp with Van Persie as time ticked away. The Dutchman scored the winner when these sides met in the Premiership last month and was the scourge of Rovers once again.

Van Persie collected a short pass from Vieira, turned past one marker and jinked past another defender before placing an inch-perfect shot beyond Friedel and into the corner.

The Dutchman lashed a first-time shot past the Rovers keeper in stoppage time to finish things off. Arsenal will be back again in May with the chance to end an up-and-down season with some silverware.

REFEREE

* Steve Dunn (Bristol)

ATTENDANCE

* 52,077


ARSENAL

* Jens Lehmann
* Ashley Cole
* Kolo Toure
* Philippe Senderos
* Lauren
* Fredrik Ljungberg
* Cesc Fabregas 50
* Patrick Vieira
* Gilberto
* Robert Pires
* Jose Reyes
* Jeremie Aliadiere 90
* Dennis Bergkamp
* Robin van Persie 83

SUBS

* Manuel Almunia
* Pascal Cygan


BLACKBURN ROVERS

* Brad Friedel
* Lucas Neill
* Andy Todd
* Ryan Nelsen
* Dominic Matteo
* Jon Stead 83
* Aaron Mokoena
* David Thompson
* Robbie Savage 63
* Steven Reid
* Gary Flitcroft
* Brett Emerton 52
* Morten G. Pedersen
* Paul ****ov

SUBS

* Tugay
* Peter Enckelman

BlueTails
16-04-2005, 03:10 PM
NEWCASTLE COME ON YOU MAGPIES! GONNA GO SEE IT!! :)

YellowParasol
19-04-2005, 04:16 PM
LOl Unlucky Bluetails :p Manchester United All the way!

the wombats
19-04-2005, 04:17 PM
come on MIDDLESBROUGH LOL

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