BLACKBURN ROVERS 4 (Haley 12, Fernandez 13, 88, Hands 39)
STOKE CITY 0 (Richardson sent off 6)
A SECOND sending off in the space of three days helped condemn the Potters to another defeat, as the Under 18s bowed out of the FA Youth Cup at the Fifth Round stage to Blackburn Rovers.
After Robert Huth controversially saw red for the first team in Saturday's defeat to Sunderland, this time it was Academy youngster Jordan Richardson who was given his marching orders after just six minutes to affectively end the contest before it had begun.
Rovers followed that up with two quickfire strikes to put an early foot in the door of the Quarter Finals, with City then battling in earnest for the rest of the game to forge a way back in.
In the end they couldn't manage it, but this year's run in the competition - the Club's best this century - still had many positives to look back on.
Dave Kevan's side had travelled to the chilly Ewood Park in an optimistic mood following last week's creditable draw against an experienced Derby reserve side, but were dealt a huge blow with Richardson's early red card.
The Stoke youngster could have no complaints with the decision after leaping off the ground to put a challenge in on Jack O'Connell halfway inside the Rovers half. Almost instantly the hosts made the most of their advantage and scored two goals in the space of 90 seconds.
The deadlock was broken when a neat passing move carved City open to present a chance to Raheem Haley, who cooly looped the ball over Dale Eve and into the back of the net.
And before the Potters could lick their wounds the advantage was doubled, Peter Wylie's through ball being picked up by Hugo Fernandez to slot home from ten yards out.
The majority of the chances continued to come from Rovers, with Reece Hands firing over nine minutes later and Osayamen Osawe hitting the side netting from inside the area on 33.
That effort proved to be a sighter for Hands, who made no mistake when a long ball forward came back off striker Haley for him to drill into the bottom left hand corner with six minutes of the half remaining.
Half-time saw the introduction of Kris Scott and Stoke began the second period brightly. Jack Nardiello fired wide after a good one-two with Karim Rossi had set him free down the left, whilst skipper Lucas Dawson put a long range free kick just over the crossbar.
Tides turned back into Blackburn's favour as things progressed and Fernandez struck the post on 70 minutes after moving infield from the left to worry Eve. Osawe then forced Stoke's keeper to tip his stinging effort over the bar from close range.
Blackburn did finally get their fourth goal, Hernandez tapping in at the back post in the dying stages for his second of the night.
BLACKBURN: Urwin, Wylie, Beesley (Mason-Ware 85), Hands (Cotton 63), Edwards (c), O'Connell, Fernandez, Hanley, Haley (Payne 69), O'Sullivan, Osawe. Subs (Not Used): Paul, Dilo, Mason-Ware.
CITY: Eve, Roberts-Nurse, Hall, Dawson (c), Parry, O'Reilly, Agbaje (Scott 46), Richardson, Rossi (Barrington), Clarkson (Musungu), Nardiello. Subs (Not Used): Cook, Richards.
