Blackburn Rovers dominated a lively first half at Ewood Park, but find themselves 1-0 down to Emmanual Adebayor's third minute strike.
Rover started brightly, El Hadji Diouf's cross met by McCarthy who's header was cleared off the line by Richard Dunne.
From this City saw the chance to break, with Shaun Wright-Phillips lively run down the right creating problems. His cut inside freed the space for Emmanual Adebayor, who slotted away confartably from the edge of the area.
Blackburn domianted the rest of the half, McCarthy and Diouf's interchanging on the right causing problems for the City Defence.
McCarthy and Roberts missed a host of chances, with Shay Given also pulling off a string a magnificent saves to highglight his importance to the City cause.
When called upon City's attacking quartet off Adebayor, Robinho, Wright-Phillips and Bellamy looked set rival the best around. There one touch football casuing all sorts of troubles for Rovers, when City actually got an attack together.
Both sides had penalty appeals turned by Mike Dean, and Robinho missed a great chance late in the half to send his in two up.
However at half-time, it went in 1-0 to the millionaires from Eastlands.
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