Poof! “Just like that” The magic of the FA Cup disappeared.

Dire Derby were deservedly dumped out of the competition by a disciplined and robust Blackburn Rovers who you felt never had to step out of their comfort zone.

Despite sharing a large amount of possession the Rams lacked penetration, forwards sideways triangles looking for options finding none, a pass back and repeat. Formation best described as “loose” one minute Connor Sammon on his own, then Jamie Ward in midfield with Craig Bryson and Will Hughes up front.

As a plan it lacked leadership and composure. Yet if the aim was to win free kicks around the area in the hope of scoring from a set play then you might say it worked. John Brayford forced Jake Kean in the Rovers goal to drop on the ball just before the interval.

But by then Blackburn had taken the lead. Richard Keogh was caught by Colin Kazim-Richards near the touchline and the striker powered his way into the box before lashing the ball past Adam Legzdins.

Second half and the visitors sat behind the ball, Derby tried to pass the ball through the defence to little success, we had no pace, we had no width and with Hughes having another off day we had little creativity either.

It needed the whole team to show for the ball when not in possession, what we got was the player with the ball being left with no options as his teammates failed to lose their markers. The infamous “killer pass” being tried and failing on almost every occasion!

Work rate alone doesn’t always cut it, the sole Sammon found three players around him every time he tried to control the ball, it should have left spaces elsewhere and if it did we didn’t exploit them.

Scott Dann on the other hand exploited his chance, volleying the ball into the back of the net from Danny Murphy’s cross. Jordan Rhodes added a third for Blackburn and with twenty minutes left the game was effectively over.

Three substitutions later and Stuart Attwell blew his final whistle. Somedays you don’t get what you deserve in life. Today Blackburn where short changed it could have been four or five whilst the Rams barely deserved naught.

Oh well now we can concentrate on the league and that elusive eleventh place firmly routing ourselves in the top half of the table such is our ambition.

Rams Player Ratings:

Legzdins 7 – The reason the scoreline was kept to three.

Brayford 6 – Thundered down the wing and back again with little end product.

Roberts 6 – Easy to criticise but continually finds himself up against two opponents.

Keogh 6 – Mistake for the first goal, we lack that commanding centre half.

O’Brien 5 – Watched the game happen around him, carrying a knock, substituted (O’Connor 5 – Little chance to shine).

Coutts 6 – Tried hard but had little support.

Hughes 5 – Three off days on the trot now for our undoubtedly talented youngster, substituted when the game was lost (Davies 5 – Added little).

Bryson 6 – Failed to spark anything and often chasing shadows.

Hendrick 8 – My man of the match, plugging holes and a powerhouse in midfield.

Ward 6 – On the wing, in midfield, you want him upfront in the box, he wasn’t and it showed, substituted (Jacobs 5 – Disappointing).

Sammon 6 – Typical Conor, works hard and that’s it.

Photo: Action Images

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