Blackburn Rovers 4-1 Wrexham: A Sammie Szmodics double and goals from Sam Gallagher and Sondre Tronstad end Red Dragons’ FA Cup fairytale hopes at Ewood Park

Blackburn Rovers 4-1 Wrexham: A Sammie Szmodics double and goals from Sam Gallagher and Sondre Tronstad end Red Dragons’ FA Cup fairytale hopes at Ewood Park

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The film crews working on the next series of Welcome to Wrexham doubtless got some lovely shots of the 7,338 red-clad supporters who packed the away end.

And it’s fair to say the wild celebrations when Andy Cannon fired the Welsh club ahead won’t be left on the cutting room floor.

But football so often stubbornly refuses to follow the script and Wrexham’s dreams of a Hollywood-authored FA Cup fairytale crashed into reality on a soggy night in Lancashire.

If Cannon’s cannon gave the club owned by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney the right to briefly wonder what might be, they thereafter found themselves ruthlessly dispatched by Blackburn.

The Championship side advanced to an attractive home fifth round tie against Newcastle United and no-doubt Alan Shearer will have no trouble securing a ticket for either end.

Sammie Szmodics silenced the Wrexham’s travelling support and got Blackburn in front before the break with a brace

The Championship outfit roared by from an early concession to book their place in the next round

The Championship outfit roared by from an early concession to book their place in the next round

MATCH FACTS AND PLAYER RATINGS 

Blackburn Rovers (3-4-1-2): Pears; Rankin-Costello (Atcheson 83), Hyam (c), S. Wharton; Moran, Tronstad, Garrett (Ayari 65), Sigurdsson (Markanday 89); Szmodics; Dolan (Chrisene 65), Gallagher (Telalovic 65)

Substitutes not used: Wahlstedt (GK); Gamble, A. Wharton, Ennis

Manager: Jon Dahl Tomasson

Scorers: Szmodics 32, 45+1; Gallagher 34; Tronstad 59

Booked: Garrett

Wrexham (3-5-2): Okonkwo; Cleworth, Tozer (c), O’Connell (Tunnicliffe 69); Barnett (Mendy 69), Evans, Lee, Cannon (Jones 69), McClean; Mullin (Palmer 78), Dalby (Bickerstaff 78)

Substitutes not used: McNicholas (GK); McFadzean, Hayden, Davies

Manager: Phil Parkinson

Scorer: Cannon 19

Referee: Andrew Madley

Attendance: 18,169 (7,338 away)

Sammie Szmodics scored twice, with Sam Gallagher and Sondre Tronstad also on target as Wrexham were rudely reminded of how far they have to go yet.

The Cup is providing a nice distraction for Rovers, who are beset by financial worries and who had won just one of their last 10 league games to see play-off aspirations fade away.

With 32 places splitting the out-of-form Championship side and the League Two promotion hopefuls, Wrexham undoubtedly fancied their chances of an upset.

But it was Rovers who made all the early running. Szmodics saw an early sighter fly past the near post after Gallagher had cut back Tyrhys Dolan’s near through pass.

Wrexham skipper Ben Tozer was then required to hook the ball clear right in front of his goalline after Szmodics lifted a shot beyond keeper Arthur Okonkwo in no man’s land.

The Welsh side hadn’t threatened at all when they took a surprise lead on 19 minutes.

Blackburn were the architects of their own downfall, with Jake Garrett gifting Wrexham possession inside his own half.

There initially appeared to be little danger, but Sam Dalby advanced and played a square pass to Cannon. Even then, the ball was travelling away from the target but Cannon showed incredible technique to blast it into the bottom corner and spark delirium in the away end.

For a few minutes, it genuinely appeared as if Wrexham might run away with it. Rovers are in the midst of a dire league run of just one win in their last 10 and confidence is brittle.

Andy Cannon's opener sparked wild celebrations and had Wrexham fans dreaming of a major upset

Andy Cannon’s opener sparked wild celebrations and had Wrexham fans dreaming of a major upset

They were reliant on keeper Aynsley Pears to keep out another Cannon effort that skidded over the greasy surface, before touching James McClean’s follow-up over.

But once Blackburn regained their grasp, three goals in 16 minutes put them in a commanding position at the interval.

Inevitably, it was Szmodics who equalised and took his tally for the season to 20. Garrett slipped Gallagher through inside the Wrexham box and he deftly clipped the ball back to Szmodics, whose shot clipped Max Cleworth to beat Okonkwo.

Within two minutes, Blackburn had flipped the tie on its head and Okonkwo didn’t exactly cover himself in glory. Gallagher beat Tozer to a ball played down the left touchline, flicking the ball around the defender to break clear.

Okonkwo was fully committed, racing 20 yards off his line and all Gallagher had to do was wait for the keeper to commit before guiding his shot into the empty net.

Blackburn’s third in first-half stoppage time allowed Ewood Park to exhale some more.

Sondre Tronstad put the finishing touches on the dominant Rovers display with his effort on the hour

Sondre Tronstad put the finishing touches on the dominant Rovers display with his effort on the hour

League Two side fell at the same hurdle to Championship opposition in the FA Cup last term

League Two side fell at the same hurdle to Championship opposition in the FA Cup last term

Sondre Tronstad lifted a well-judged diagonal ball that Szmodics expertly brought down ahead of Cleworth before finishing low into the far corner.

Wrexham had little choice but to take more risks but before they could make any headway, Rovers added a fourth.

Tronstad’s shot found the top corner via a deflection off Elliott Lee’s back after Szmodics and then Gallagher had both tried to work space to shoot.

Lee later tried his luck from inside his own half, having spotted Pears off his line out the corner of his eye. But there would be no Hollywood ending.


Source From: Football | Mail Online

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