Blackburn Rovers’ Josh King hits FA Cup hat-trick to stun Stoke CityBlackburn 4 - 1 StokeJoshua King 36
Rudy Gestede 45 +6:20 Pen
Joshua King 50
Joshua King 55
Peter Crouch 10
Blackburn's Josh King celebrates with the match ball after the FA Cup upset of Stoke.
“Easy! Easy!” and “Hughesy Hughesy, what’s the score?” sang the delirious Blackburn Rovers fans in that memorable moment when Josh King bagged a hat-trick, and his side’s fourth, to kill off this FA Cup tie with only 55 minutes played.
As first Rudy Gestede, with a header saved well by Jack Butland, then Craig Conway, who danced through before steering a shot wide, might have added a fifth and sixth strike for Rovers, Stoke City can count themselves fortunate to be returning home with “only” a 4-1 shock scoreline against their name.
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A slight sadness is that just 13,934 were in Ewood Park to witness the latest sprinkling of magic offered up by a competition that continues to flourish despite this age of Premier League hype and uber-riches.
There was also a skirmish in the away end that started around the 80th-minute and rumbled on for a period, it being difficult to discern at distance precisely what the issue was.
On the field, Stoke, led by former Rovers manager Mark Hughes, had taken the lead as early as the 10th minute. Yet although the Potters had further chances – Victor Moses blasted over from close range with a wild left boot – this afternoon belonged to Gary Bowyer’s team, whose scoring of four unanswered goals was the most rousing of comebacks.
Until this outing, King, a 23-year-old Norway international, had registered only once for Rovers this term. Now he has quadrupled his return with this display while also banking a glowing Cup memory to keep him warm in his dotage.
Stoke may – and should – kick themselves, though. This was a poor, unprofessional display from the precise same bunch of outfield players who had made Manchester City wobble in the first half of Wednesday evening’s encounter with the champions.
Although City pulled away after the break of that one, to win 4-1, Hughes can hardly be blamed for changing only his goalkeeper – Jack Butland came in for Asmir Begovic – given how his charges had played in that outing.
The Welshman, though, was let down badly, Geoff Cameron hardly helping the cause by being sent off just before the break for the incident that allowed Gestede to put Rovers ahead from the spot.
Stoke’s opener was regulation stuff. Moses swung in a corner from the right quadrant and, after a scramble, Peter Crouch pin-balled the ball in off Simon Eastwood’s bar for a third strike in three games.
It proved a busy opening as Steven Nzonzi required treatment a few minutes later – plus a head bandage to his wound – while, earlier, Conway replaced Ben Marshall, who appeared to have hurt a shoulder.
Conway’s introduction was to be fortunate for Rovers as he was pivotal in their equaliser. It was the No32 who floated a corner on to Shane Duffy’s head and, when he propelled the ball toward goal, King touched for his first.
This was after 36 minutes. By the time the interval arrived, Rovers had become the ascendant team and deservedly taken the lead – and Hughes had some talking to do, his side by now down to 10 men.
Due to previous delays for treatment, eight minutes was added and deep into this Rovers struck through Gestede’s penalty after Anthony Taylor, the referee, sent off Cameron for the foul on King.
If Hughes delivered stern words at the break they had little affect as worse was about to come for his gang five minutes into the second half.
For these 45 minutes, the visiting manager had pulled off Marko Arnautovic for Andy Wilkinson, while Bowyer replaced Williamson for Corry Evans. Before an hour was played it was the changes of the Rovers manager that had worked, as King scored two almost identical breakaway goals. Each came as he ran free along the left and, taking his time, poked the ball beyond the helpless Butland.
At the final whistle, Hughes was again asked what the result was. It is a count and day the locals will not forget soon
Guardian
