Blackburn 4-0 FK Vetra, Rovers earn UEFA spot

Blackburn Rovers manager Mark Hughes saw his side secure a place in the UEFA Cup on the day he signed Roque Santa Cruz from Bayern Munich.

The pressure is on the other strikers to deliver now the Paraguay international has set up camp at Ewood Park.

Blackburn scored goals for fun in this Intertoto Cup third round tie but it is doubtful if they will enjoy such an easy ride in the coming season.

The Lithuanian team were outclassed after being reduced to 10 men before half time.

Blackburn romped home and clinched a place in the second qualifying round of the UEFA Cup thanks to goals from Morten Gamst Pedersen, Jason Roberts, Christopher Samba and Benni McCarthy.

• Rovers bag Santa Cruz, earn Euro spot

Hughes made one change to the side that recorded a 2-0 victory in Lithuania last week with midfielder Aaron Mokoena replacing Tugay.

Blackburn ran the game from the start and McCarthy had a good chance of opening the scoring in the 15th minute only to hook his effort across the face of the goal.

Then a minute later the highly-rated South African dragged his shot wide of the target.

However the visitors almost pulled a goal back in the 23rd minute when Severino was left unmarked at the back post.

But the Brazilian failed to test goalkeeper Brad Friedel much to Blackburn's relief.

That acted as a wake-up call and Pedersen opened the scoring in the 25th minute when he powered home a cross from David Bentley.

Bentley tried his luck in the 36th minute only for goalkeeper Vaidas Zutautas to make a clean save.

Vetra's troubles increased in the 40th minute when they were reduced to 10 men with Dejan Miloseski sent off for two yellow cards.

Blackburn needed only three minutes of the second half to make it 2-0 on the day and 4-0 on aggregate.

Pedersen skipped to the byline and delivered a ball to the back post where Jason Roberts was waiting.

He made no mistake against a depleted Vetra side, who looked short on confidence.

Blackburn stepped up the pace and extended their advantage with two goals in quick succession.

McCarthy showed superb skill to score from inside the area in the 54th minute.

Then 60 seconds later Christopher Samba got on the end of a Pedersen free kick to head past Zutautas and put Blackburn 6-0 ahead on aggregate.

Substitute Matt Derbyshire should have added a fifth but saw his shot blocked in the 68th minute as Blackburn ran out easy winners.

Read More...

Summary only...

Arsenal 2 - 1 Paris S.G., Arsenal youngster beaten Prais S.G in Emirates Cup

Arsene Wenger's current Arsenal side are very much still a work in progress but there were a few glimpses against Paris St Germain on Saturday afternoon that life without Thierry Henry may not just be so bad.

The Emirates Cup - which opened with a 2-1 win for the hosts - at least gives the Gunners boss further chance to tinker as he fine tunes preparations for the battles ahead over the coming nine months.

Goals from Mathieu Flamini and Niklas Bendtner were enough for the Gunners before Peguy Luyindula pulled a goal back.

Arsenal were outplayed for large spells at times during the first half, before snatching the lead in stoppage time through Flamini.

However, this was a team missing summer signing Eduardo da Silva, the Brazilian-born Croatian international awaiting the outcome of next week's appeal to the Home Office for a work permit.

Neither Togo striker Emmanuel Adebayor, Czech midfielder Tomas Rosicky nor Theo Walcott featured against the French side - all of whom are set to play an integral part next season and should return for the Amsterdam Tournament in a week's time.

Gilberto, meanwhile, has been given extra time off after Brazil's Copa America triumph this summer and is another of Wenger's key men ready to step back into the breach.

Of those who did turn out this afternoon, Bendtner, the young Danish striker, certainly caught the eye.

A season on loan at Birmingham in the Championship was certainly time well spent.

Bendtner, 19, showed he has plenty of hunger, strength and enough raw talent to be more than just a bit-part player next season, his chest down setting up the opening goal before he doubled Arsenal's lead from close range with 20 minutes left.

However, the 19-year-old knows he must do better when presented with one-on-one chances like he was during the second half - and certainly from the penalty spot after a weak kick was easily saved late on.

Full-back Bacary Sagna, meanwhile, produced a solid display for a home debut even if he was somewhat reluctant to get forward as much as his half-time replacement Emmanuel Eboue.

Cesc Fabregas - whose name seems to have replaced Henry's on the back of the majority of the Arsenal shirts in the stands - was, however, somewhat subdued during his brief first half appearance.

By the time the visit of Fulham comes around for the Barclays Premier League opener on August 12, though, Wenger knows all of his men must be at their very best if they are to reach the only 'acceptable' target of again mounting a sustained title challenge over the entire campaign.

Despite the absence of Eduardo - who has a hearing on August 2 at which Wenger is 'optimistic' they will be granted clearance - Arsenal were at least able to field fit-again Robin van Persie, who had been sidelined since January.

Kolo Toure took the captain's armband, with fellow leader-in-waiting William Gallas starting on the bench.

It was PSG - managed by former Rangers boss Paul Le Guen - who created the first good opening after 10 minutes.

Luyindula got clear on the left and sent over a low cross, which Pierre-Alain Frau drilled just wide.

Luyindula then somehow contrived to miss the target from 10 yards having weaved his way into the Arsenal penalty area.

That let off seemed to spark the hosts into life as Van Persie was tripped on the edge of the area following a powerful run.

The Dutchman took the resulting free-kick himself but blasted over.

As the interval approached, Toure made a hash of an attempted clearance on the edge of the Arsenal area - kicking the ball up over his head and straight to Pauleta.

The PSG captain tried to lob Almunia but the Spanish keeper pulled off an acrobatic one-handed save.

In first-half injury-time, Arsenal snatched the lead from a corner which was not cleared properly.

When the ball was swept back into the box Bendtner showed great strength to chest it down into the path of Flamini, who stretched to volley into the bottom right corner off the post.

As predicted, Wenger made sweeping changes for the start of the second half - replacing Fabregas as well as goalscorer Flamini, who could have left the club in the summer.

As the hour-mark passed Clichy's through-ball released Bendtner but, after holding off his marker, the Dane spurned the one-on-one with the keeper as he opened his body and put the ball wide.

However, after 70 minutes he made no mistake, stabbing in from two yards after keeper Mickael Landreau had failed to hold onto his knockdown from a corner.

A near-post finish from Luyindula pulled one back for PSG, and there was still time for Bendtner to miss a late penalty after Alexander Hleb was fouled.

Clearly much hard work now lies ahead for Wenger and his men, who face Inter Milan here on Sunday afternoon - but on today's evidence, it may well provide some just rewards.

Read More...

Summary only...