FULL-TIME: Blackburn Rovers 0 Manchester City 2

By the final whistle, it was one of Manchester City’s less glamorous purchases who deserved all the plaudits as Sam Allardyce’s gallant Blackburn Rovers were left frustrated as the blue bandwagon rolled out of town with a fortuitous three points.

Former Rovers goalkeeper Shay Given has hardly been mentioned this summer as the likes of Carlos Tevez, Roque Santa Cruz, Emmanuel Adebayor and Gareth Barry joined the already mouth watering talent of Robinho, Craig Bellamy and Shaun Wright-Phillips.

But Given, bought by Hughes last January, could yet prove to be his most important bit of business, especially if he continues the sort of form that kept a dominant Rovers at bay at a vociferous Ewood Park as the new-look City flattered to deceive in the season opener.

Emmanuel Adebayor’s stunning third-minute strike and Stephen Ireland’s cool 91st clincher should teach Allardyce’s men a lesson in ruthlessness but, between that, it would have been tough to tell who were the £200million squad.

Chris Samba, Jason Roberts and Benni McCarthy were all spectacularly denied by Given, while Steven Nzonzi, Morten Gamst Pedersen and Keith Andrews also went close to breaking Rovers’ season duck.

At the other end Paul Robinson was only called into action once between City’s early and late strikes, a brilliant finger tip save from the otherwise quiet Robinho, but the final figures on the scoreboard were a reflection of the harsh realities of football. You have to take your chances.

For all the positives that have to be taken from Rovers’ opening day display, a lack of cutting edge in front of goal remains a concern that needs to be solved sooner rather than later.

The promise of the imminent arrival of £6million Croatian striker Nikola Kalinic at least offers a potential answer and, with Chelsea loanee Franco Di Santo only going to get better, Rovers surely have the firepower to ensure there is no repeat of last season’s relegation struggles.

The towering French midfielder Steven Nzonzi, brought from Amiens for just £400,000 this summer, showed a maturity beyond his years in the heart of Rovers’ midfield and his composed display was perhaps the biggest bonus for a frustrated Allardyce.

Nzonzi, just 20, was not expected to play much of a part in the early part of this season but injuries to the likes of David Dunn, Steven Reid and Vince Grella, has thrown him into the limelight prematurely – and he certainly didn’t disappoint.

Nzonzi and Andrews were for large parts playing against a three man City midfield but they more than held their own and always looked hungry themselves to bomb forward in search of the breakthrough.

Lars Jacobsen, another Rovers new boy, impressed at right back as he looked to show Allardyce he was not about to give up his shirt to target Michel Salgado without a fight, while Benni McCarthy and Jason Roberts were a constant source of menace in attack.

The big pity for Rovers was City’s two goals came from individual errors and, with the exception of a couple of lightning breaks, the visitors never really looked likely to otherwise test Robinson.

After just three minutes, Warnock’s slip allowed Wright-Phillips to skip past him to set up Adebayor’s opener. Although the former Arsenal man still had a lot to do as he drove the ball past Robinson from 18 yards.

The otherwise faultless Givet was the guilty culprit in the dying seconds as his slip allowed Ireland to race through Rovers’ exposed defence.

Ireland was initially blocked by Robinson but the midfielder kept his cool and eventually slid the ball into the bottom corner of the net – past Robinson and three Rovers defenders waiting on the line.

Between that though, it was pretty much one-way traffic as Rovers carried on in the form that saw them climb the Premier League table last season and away from the drop zone.

Morten Gamst Pedersen and El Hadji-Diouf were constant threats on either flank and it was these two who created the majority of Rovers’ best chances.

Pedersen’s long throw caused City’s defence a host of problems, with McCarthy, twice, and Roberts both going close with shots as the hosts were first to the loose ball in the opening 20 minutes.

Samba thought he had levelled matters on 28 though with a powerful downwards header from Diouf’s left wing corner, but Given brilliantly dived low to his left to beat the ball out from the corner.

From the loose ball Micah Richards bravely blocked Nzonzi’s close-range shot.

Roberts’ power and pace was proving too much to handle for a hesitant Dunne and, after his pull back was laid off by Pedersen, McCarthy’s side-footed strike stung Given’s hands, with Roberts’ instinctive header from the clearance bouncing wide.

The second half carried on in similar fashion with Roberts’s 60th minute header from Jacobsen’s cross again well parried by Given.

The substitution of Roberts for Di Santo actually coincided with Rovers looking less dangerous, and City started to look increasingly dangerous on the break – with Allardyce’s men throwing more and more to attack.

Robinson had to be at his best to keep out Robinho’s low strike before Ireland blazed over after another swift City breakaway.

Rovers’ last chance went when Benni McCarthy’s penalty appeal was rightfully turned away on 87 minutes, with Dunne’ tackle just about making contact with the ball and four minutes later Ireland made sure of an away victory.

ROVERS: Paul Robinson, Lars Jacobsen, Stephen Warnock, Chris Samba, Gael Givet, Jason Roberts, Benni McCarthy, Morten Gamst Pedersen, Steven Nzonzi, Keith Andrews, El-Hadji Diouf. SUBS: Jason Brown, Vince Grella, Zurab Khizanishvili, Paul Gallagher, Martin Olsson, David Hoilett, Franco Di Santo

MANCHESTER CITY: Shay Given, Micah Richards, Wayne Bridge, Stephen Ireland, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Robinho, Gareth Barry, Richard Dunne, Emmanuel Adebayor, Kolo Toure, Craig Bellamy. SUBS: Stuart Taylor, Nedum Onuoha, Pablo Zabaleta, Martin Petrov, Carlos Tevez, Nigel De Jong, Vladimir Weiss

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