FA Premiership/Blackburn Rovers 1 Chelsea 0: The Ribble Valley will be back on the European map next season after Blackburn secured a Uefa Cup place last night. Moreover, in gaining the points needed to guarantee sixth place, Mark Hughes's side enjoyed the additional satisfaction of putting one over on Jose Mourinho.
It is no exaggeration to say there is no love lost between these two managers and, although the Portuguese rested several of his bigger names in the wake of Chelsea's championship success, Mourinho's use of substitutes and tactical rejigs indicated an increasingly urgent desire to avoid defeat to a team he once dismissed as a bunch of thugs.
Mourinho may care to revise that assessment after a season in which Blackburn's undoubted steel has been complemented by football good enough for them to also defeat Manchester United - twice - and Arsenal.
When these teams met here in last season's equivalent fixture - won narrowly by the Londoners who lost Arjen Robben with a bad injury following an Aaron Mokoena tackle - Mourinho accused Rovers of endeavouring to bully his side into submission, complaining: "They tried to intimidate us."
Initially at least things proved far more genteel here, with only Craig Bellamy's sporadic bursts of attacking pace upping the sluggish tempo. Only Ricardo Carvalho's timely interception prevented him from taking a volleyed chance which looked bound for the top corner.
That opening was conjured courtesy of a long ball from Steven Reid, operating out of position at right-back after injuries to Ryan Nelsen and Andy Todd forced Mark Hughes into a defensive reshuffle involving Lucas Neill relocating to centre half.
The game's next chance fell to Geremi, Chelsea's right-back for the night, who directed a low shot inches wide of an upright.
It was the cue for the evening to fully spark into life. Presumably remembering they still need two points to pip Newcastle and Bolton for a sixth-place finish and Uefa Cup place, Hughes's men rallied. Like Reid, Morten Gamst Pedersen has been much admired by Manchester United's scouts and from his cross Bellamy flicked onto the underside of the bar for David Bentley to head tantalisingly wide.
Just as Bentley never quite managed to break through at Arsenal, Shaun Wright-Phillips has made heavy weather of his first season at Chelsea and must have been hoping to make the most of this rare start. Watched by Stuart Pearce, his former manager at Manchester City, the winger embarked on one exhilarating, marker-defying run which ended unfortunately when he collided with Neill and fell over amid harsh accusations of diving. Eidur Gudjohnsen came closer to scoring when his flick threatened to redirect Geremi's cross beyond Brad Friedel but it instead rebounded off a post.
Geremi was booked for handling a Pedersen cross, Robbie Savage stepped forward to take a free-kick awarded near a corner flag. His execution proved impeccable, the ball's flight eluding Mourinho's packed defence and leaving Carlo Cudicini snatching at thin air as it bent imperiously towards the far corner, taking a deflection off Reid en route.
Mourinho replaced Asier Del Horno with Damien Duff at the interval and the former Blackburn winger received a warm welcome from his former fans, who endured an anxious moment when Friedel pushed out a Gudjohnsen volley.
With Lassana Diarra now on Del Horno's old left-back beat, Duff had full attacking licence and his surging dribbles soon reminded everyone that Reid is a far better central midfielder than right-back. Suddenly ruffled, Rovers feared they had conceded a penalty when Neill's lunge clipped Wright-Phillips in the area but Steve Bennett rejected Chelsea's appeals.
It was to be Wright-Phillips's final act and he looked suitably disappointed to be replaced by Joe Cole.
Geremi should also have departed the field but Bennett turned a blind eye to his cynical hacking down of Pedersen and neglected to issue the second yellow card which would have seen Chelsea reduced to 10 men.
BLACKBURN: Friedel, Reid (Mokoena 72), Khizanishvili, Neill, Gray, Bentley, Savage, Tugay (Peter 85), Pedersen, Sinama Pongolle (Kuqi 85), Bellamy. Subs not used: Enckelman, Dickov. Booked: Savage, Gray. Goal: Reid 43.
CHELSEA: Cudicini, Geremi (Carlton Cole 77), Ricardo Carvalho, Gallas, Del Horno (Duff 45), Maniche, Diarra, Lampard, Wright-Phillips (Joe Cole 64), Crespo, Gudjohnsen. Subs not used: Pidgeley, Johnson. Booked: Geremi, Duff.
Referee: S Bennett (Kent).
