Joe’s stunner puts Bluebirds in a flap
JOE RANKIN-COSTELLO’S cracking goal proved to be the winner – but Cardiff’s players were furious about their own breakthrough ‘goal’ being ruled out.
Skipper Joe Ralls eye-balled ref Robert Madley when an effort by Dimitrios Goutas was ruled out.
The defender’s well-placed header from a Ralls’ corner zipped past Blackburn’s Swedish keeper Leo Wahlstedt, but the officials ruled that Karlan Grant had interfered with the keeper’s line of vision.
Cardiff boss Erol Bulut took the decision on the chin when he said: “I spoke to the ref afterwards and he insisted his decision was right.
“It took the linesman 30 seconds to raise his flag, but he made the decision and we have to accept that.”
He added: “We had more shots on goal but we have to score. A small mistake led to their goal.”
To add insult to the Bluebirds’ feeling of injustice, Rankin-costello beat off the attention of Goutas to score the winner for Blackburn. The 24-year-old homegrown academy product took delivery of a lovely through ball from Tyrhys Dolan before hitting a right-foot effort past stranded keeper Jak Alnwick.
Blackburn held out for a win, though they lived dangerously when Cardiff sub Ollie Tanner hit a fierce cross-goal shot that brought a brilliant save by keeper Wahlstedt.
Boss Jon Dahl Tomasson admitted: “It was not our best game. We played too slowly, but then we scored a great goal and we kept a clean sheet. In the end it was a deserved win.”
BLACKBURN: Wahlstedt 6; Hill 6, Carter 7, Hyam 6, Pickering 6; Rankin-costello 8 (Travis (78) 5), Tronstad 6, Szmodics 6; Brittain 7, Dolan 7, Sigurdsson 6 (Ennis (65) 6) CARDIFF: Alnwick 6; Ng 6, Mcguinness 7, Goutas 7, Collins 6; Siopis 7, Ralls 6, (Colwill (78) 5), Wintle 5 (Robinson (66) 5), Bowler 5 (Tanner (61) 6), Ugbo 5 (Meite (61) 6), Grant 6 STAR MAN: Joe Rankin-costello – Blackburn’s hard-working midfielder got his reward when he cracked home the winner. REF: Robert Madley 6
PEP GUARDIOLA heralded Jeremy Doku as a Manchester City star for the exciting future.
The Belgian international set up the first goal and led the Brighton defence a merry dance in a pulsating first-half performance.
City boss Guardiola said: “He is an exceptional winger. He is smart.
“He has the quality to go to the byline for the first goal. I’m really pleased for his impact since he has come in to us. He can be a star for many years to come in this house.”
Guardiola saw his side hang on in the dying minutes but he added: “No team in the world can control a game for 95, 96 minutes.
“I was surprised we did it for 55, 60 minutes.” Brighton’s Solly
March faces a long spell on the sidelines after being stretchered off with what appeared a serious knee injury.
Manager Roberto De Zerbi said: “We are losing too many players.
“We will play against Ajax on Thursday in the Europa League without important players. I don’t think we are ready to compete.”