Nottingham Forest 0 - 1 Blackburn Rovers

McCarthy secures Rovers progress

Updated: September 23, 2009, 8:07 AM UK

Benni McCarthy's fortuitous free-kick ensured a successful return to Nottingham for Blackburn boss Sam Allardyce as Rovers reached the Carling Cup fourth round with a slender 1-0 victory at the City Ground.

• Allardyce: Class acts sent us through

Allardyce- who managed Forest's city rivals Notts County between 1997 and 1999, guiding the Magpies to the old Third Division title by a staggering 19 points - saw his side score against the run of play in the 37th minute. After Martin Olsson had been brought down on the left side of the area, McCarthy's curling right-footed cross appeared to evade everyone in the box and nestled in the far corner beyond Paul Smith's desperate dive.

It was harsh on the Championship club, who created the better chances and missed a second-half penalty when Jason Brown superbly saved Dexter Blackstock's kick.

Allardyce made 10 changes from Sunday's dismal defeat at Everton with former Real Madrid defender Michel Salgado the only survivor. Rovers were slow out of the blocks and Forest almost forged a fortunate early lead after Blackstock was fouled 30 yards out. Chris Cohen's free-kick to the far post was headed back across goal by Blackburn-born Joe Garner, a former trainee with Rovers, before Blackstock unknowingly guided the ball goalwards with his thigh but Brown was on hand to smother.

Nathan Tyson showed his pace down the left to set up a 10th-minute chance for Robert Earnshaw. The Wales international controlled the low cross but had the ball nicked off his toe by Rovers captain Ryan Nelsen as he was about to shoot. And Forest went close again after another Cohen free-kick was not properly cleared. The ball ricocheted into Wes Morgan's path but the defender blasted his first-time effort wildly wide.

Blackburn stretched the home defence for the first time after 20 minutes when David Hoilett got down the left to cross, but Nikola Kalinic got his header all wrong and the ball looped harmlessly onto the roof of the net.

Forest continued to look dangerous and skipper Paul McKenna sent a rising shot just past the top corner midway through the first half. Blackstock would surely have scored had pressure from two Blackburn defenders not caused him to lose balance and mis-hit his 10-yard shot in the 26th minute. Hoilett and Kalinic combined again just after the half-hour. This time the Croatian's downward header had Smith scrambling across his goal but the ball bounced narrowly wide.

Rovers took the lead eight minutes before the break but the hosts came close to equalising through a free-kick of their own when Earnshaw's curling effort clipped the bar. Forest emerged after the break lacking the fluency they had in the first half and took time to get going.

McCarthy should have scored his and Blackburn's second goal 10 minutes after the restart following hesitation in the home defence, but he directed his glancing header wide. Brown had to get down quickly to take Joel Lynch's whizzing low cross off the toes of the arriving Blackstock and Earnshaw soon afterwards.

Tyson then sent a low shot narrowly wide just after the hour after cutting inside from the flank before Cohen's mis-hit cross had to be pushed over the bar by Brown.

Billy Davies' side were gifted the chance to equalise in the 72nd minute when Steven Reid mistimed his jump to head clear and the ball struck the Republic of Ireland player's flailing arm, leaving referee Michael Oliver with little choice but to award a penalty. Blackstock stepped up but his spot-kick was superbly pushed away by Brown, diving to his left.

The hosts continued to push for an equaliser and many of the 11,553 inside the City Ground thought they had got it in the final minute when a cross was flicked on at the near post, but Earnshaw somehow managed to scoop the ball over the bar from on the goalline.To the Welshman's relief, the offside flag had been raised.

Allardyce: Class acts sent us through

After the match Sam Allardyce dismissed suggestions that McCarthy's decisive goal was fortuitous.

He said: "Benni meant to do that, we practice it in training all the time. We always practice to hit the target as the goalkeeper can't do anything about it as there's a cluster of players there that may get a touch. So if someone gets a touch it can go in and if someone doesn't the goalkeeper is left stranded and it goes in the back of the net.

"It's the quality of the ball from that angle to get it on target that was the difference in quality between the teams. That outstanding free-kick and Jason Brown's absolutely superb penalty save from a very well-taken penalty was the quality that won us the game.

"I was disappointed with the decision of the referee to give the penalty as it could have thrown us into extra-time which we wouldn't have wanted, but we overcame it I'm glad to say."

Allardyce added: "Overall I'm delighted. It was a tough match like we expected and we came through with no injury problems and gave a lot of players some really good football to catch up with match fitness.

"With a squad of our size it's important to give players some high quality time on the pitch. We made 10 changes and it disrupted the team initially as they are a group of strangers playing together, really.

"We had two exciting lads making their way in the team in Junior Hoilett and a young lad who made his debut at the back and looked like he'd played there for a number of years in Phil Jones."

Defeat was harsh on Forest as the Championship club dominated for long spells and created the better chances throughout. However, even Reds boss Billy Davies conceded that McCarthy's goal was a moment of class.

"It was a fantastic delivery as it is one of these goals where there's about six or seven bodies running across that goal and it can hit anybody and go anywhere and it has sneaked it at the far corner," said the Scot. "It's a fantastic delivery but a stupid free-kick to give away."

Davies added: "We dominated and should have been well in front, we hit the bar, missed a penalty and outplayed a Premier division side. I have nothing but praise for the players. For whatever reason at the moment we are just in a very bad run of luck, not just one game, it has been a consistent run of bad luck since the start of the season.

"We are dominating games and playing well in my opinion, but such is life."