It’s joy of the Rovers as Sammie sinks Rodgers
THIS was not the way Brendan Rodgers wanted to celebrate four years in charge of Leicester as they were knocked out of the FA Cup by Blackburn last night to boos from the home crowd.
The 2021 winners produced a desperately poor performance as goals from Tyrhys Dolan and Sammie Szmodics sent Championship promotion chasers Rovers into the quarter-finals for the first time in eight years. Substitute Kelechi Iheanacho’s strike could not save Leicester, who made seven changes from Saturday’s 1-0 defeat in the Premier League by Arsenal. Rodgers’ side should have taken the lead in the eighth minute when Aynsley Pears made a double save from Tete and Dennis Praet. But at the other end, Daniel Iversen thwarted Szmodics before Dolan missed an even better chance when he steered Szmodics’ cross too close to Iversen. Dolan was not to be denied and fired Rovers in front in the 33rd minute when Daniel Amartey presented the ball to the winger and he scored from 20 yards. Rovers doubled their lead on 52 minutes when Sam Gallagher robbed Luke Thomas, evaded Boubakary Soumare and found Szmodics, who squeezed between Amartey and Ricardo Pereira to prod in. And only a scrambling save from Iversen denied him a third moments later. Iheanacho gave Leicester hope with 23 minutes left by guiding in Harvey Barnes’ cross, before Amartey hit the post at the death.