AN afternoon that began with a power-cut ended with Graeme Souness blowing a fuse as the lights went out on Blackburn Rovers' cup hopes for another season.

Birmingham City, who were so crudely embarrassed when these two sides met here in the Premiership a month ago, gained perfect revenge for that 4-0 defeat by producing an electrifying performance to book their place in the fourth round of the FA Cup.

And had Steve Bruce's side showed a touch more composure in front of goal then the margin of their victory might have been even more emphatic.

Rovers, quite frankly, were shocking as they bowed out of yet another knockout competition at the first hurdle.

Not surprisingly, Souness looked fit to explode afterwards as he tried to make sense of a game in which his players had been out-fought and out-thought from start to finish.

The day had started badly as a loss of power at St Andrews meant the kick-off had to be delayed for nearly 40 minutes.

Then when the ground-staff finally remedied the problem, things got decidedly worse for Rovers as their dreams of an FA Cup run were plunged into permanent darkness by a Blues side determined to prove a point.

Souness gave his players the hair-dryer treatment in the dressing room afterwards and he had every right to do so after they failed to match City's superior hunger and desire in every department - a cardinal sin in the most famous Cup competition in the world.

"We tried to get the message across to the players before the game that they were coming to play a team that had been embarrassed three or four weeks ago so we knew that we would be meeting an aggressive side," raged Souness.

"But unfortunately for us we didn't get that message across to enough of our players because very few of them won their individual battles and collectively we lost a game that we thoroughly deserved to lose.

"We were out-fought and out-played and I have no complaints about the result."

If one word could be used to sum up Rovers' season then surely it would have to be 'inconsistent'.

How can a team who performed so magnificently to beat Newcastle last week then produce such a passionless display against a Birmingham side which is average at best?

In their defence, Rovers were without both Barry Ferguson and Brett Emerton who have provided much of the thrust from midfield this season.

Nevertheless, they should still have had more than enough in their locker to penetrate a make-shift Blues rearguard which featured Stan Lazaridis, Kenny Cunningham, Damien Johnson and Jeff Kenna, who was pressed into action as an emergency centre half following an injury to England international Matthew Upson.

But the reality was Blues keeper Maik Taylor could have spent the afternoon ambling around the Bullring looking for bargains in the January sales.

The service to Andy Cole and Paul Gallagher was truly woeful at times as Rovers resorted to pumping aimless balls forward.

With Ferguson missing in the centre, Garry Flitcroft and Tugay were completely overshadowed by Robbie Savage and Stephen Clemence, who won virtually every second ball in midfield.

And a clearly fired-up David Dunn had a field day down the left where he tore Lucas Neill and Markus Babbel to shreds with some clever footwork.

How the former Ewood favourite must have revelled in putting his old team-mates to the sword after he was ridiculed four weeks ago.

It was at the back, though, where Rovers looked particularly vulnerable, especially in the second half when they were forced to chase the game.

The wily Mikael Forssell led Andy Todd and Co a merry dance with his close control and incisive movement and he alone could have had a hat-trick.

It was the Blues who made all the running when the action finally got underway 35 minutes later than scheduled.

Clinton Morrison headed over, a Savage cross was cleared off the line by Todd, and a Bryan Hughes effort drifted just wide of the far post in a lively opening 20 minutes.

Then City's incessant pressure was finally rewarded when Morrison swept home the opening goal in the 23rd minute after Craig Short lost out in a 50/50 on the edge of his own box.

Forssell, who was a constant threat throughout, then dragged another effort just wide of the far post after a neat turn in the box.

But the home fans didn't have long to wait before they had another goal to celebrate. Dunn cut in from the left after a typically marauding run and crossed for Forssell who cleverly laid the ball off for Clemence to score with a first time shot into the bottom left-hand corner.

Rovers' one and only chance of the half fell to Cole who out-paced a couple of defenders in an electric run but he failed to pack enough venom into his shot to beat Taylor.

Souness had some stern words to say during his half-time team-talk and he also replaced Alan Mahon, who had an afternoon to forget, with Dino Baggio at the beginning of the second half as he switched from a 4-4-2 to a 3-5-2 formation.

For a moment, the change appeared to have had the desired effect as a shot from Baggio was deflected over the bar.

Then the former Lazio player forced Taylor into his one meaningful save of the game with another rasper that was palmed onto the crossbar.

However, City always looked menacing on the break against an increasingly jittery back three.

Forssell fired a warning when he raced onto a pass from Dunn and struck the base of the post with a low cross-shot before the visitors' cup hopes were extinguished once and for all in the 78th minute.

Maik Taylor's hopeful punt down the middle should have been meat and drink for the Blackburn defence but Martin Taylor was suddenly left one and one with Forssell and the Finnish international strolled around him before comfortably beating Friedel.

By now, Rovers had thrown in the towel and with the home fans baying for more blood, the Blues grabbed a fourth to gain perfect revenge for that humbling in the Premiership a month ago.

Once again, the defending was abysmal as Forssell sent Morrison clear on the left and Hughes gleefully converted the striker's low cross.

So where do Rovers go from here?

Reinforcements are clearly needed during the January transfer window if Premiership survival is to be achieved.

Top of Souness's wish-list must be a striker and a central midfield player.

New blood is needed - and fast.

BIRMINGHAM 4

Morrison 23, Clemence 36, Forssell 78, Hughes 84

ROVERS 0