A LOOK at the key moments from the game at Maine Road against Manchester City.
FORM GUIDE:
BRAD FRIEDEL: Didn't have too much to do other than pick the ball out of his net twice in the last 10 minutes...6
MARTIN TAYLOR: Asked to play in an unfamiliar role and performed quite well although the crosses for both goals came from City's left...6
LUCAS NEILL: Another who played out of position but he did a decent job in containing the pacey Shaun Wright-Phillips...7
CRAIG SHORT: Kept a tight rein on Anelka for 80 minutes but he was then left cruelly exposed by the men in front of him...7
HENNING BERG: Given his first start of the season and he rose to the challenge superbly with a display full of character at the back...7
GARRY FLITCROFT: Revelled in his return to Maine Road by keeping a tight lid on City dangerman Ali Benarbia...7
DAVID DUNN: Looks more at home in the centre of midfield where he can have a greater influence on proceedings...7
KEITH GILLESPIE: Got into some great positions but his final ball let him down at times, particularly in the first half...6
ANDY COLE: Great to see him open his goal-account for the season, especially as it came against Peter Schmeichel...7
DWIGHT YORKE: Should have done better with a second half chance but retained possession well up front...7
DAVID THOMPSON: Another lively performance from the former Liverpool man. Scored one and made one before he hobbled off injured...8
SUBS:
GRABBI (for Cole, 56)...5
MAHON (for Gillespie, 78)...5
TUGAY (for Thompson, 86)...4
NOT USED: JOHANSSON, KELLY
OPPOSITE CAMP:
SCHMEICHEL...Kept his side in the game 7
SUN...A rock at the back 8
DISTIN...Can see why Rovers wanted him 7
BISCHOFF...Reasonable debut 6
WRIGHT-PHILLIPS...Gave ball away for Rovers' second 6
FOE...At fault for Thompson's opener 6
BENARBIA...Quiet by his standards 6
BERKOVIC...Showed touches of class 7
JENSEN...Not particularly influential 6
ANELKA...A class-act up front 7
SHUKER...Made little impact 6
SUBS:
TIATTO (for Bischoff, 61) 2
GOATER (for Shuker, 61) 7
NOT USED: HORLOCK, RITCHIE, NASH
STATS:
Goal attempts: Rovers 14 City 15
Shots on target: Rovers 7 City 3
Woodwork: Rovers 0 City 0
Offsides: Rovers 5 City 4
Corners: Rovers 4 City 13
Free kicks: Rovers 14 City 13
REFEREE...Mike Dean (Wirral) 8
Bookings: YELLOW CARDS - Rovers: Neill, Gillespie, Grabbi City: Foe, Wright-Phillips
RED CARD - City: Tiatto (violent conduct)
Attendance: 34,130
TEAMS:
Rovers (4-4-2): from right to left
Friedel
Taylor, Short, Berg, Neill
Gillespie, Flitcroft, Dunn, Thompson
Cole, Yorke
City (3-5-2): from right to left
Schmeichel
Sun, Bischoff, Distin
Wright-Phillips, Benarbia, Foe, Berkovic, Jensen
Shuker, Anelka
TIME FOR ACTION:
20 Henning Berg heads narrowly wide from a David Thompson corner
26 It's 1-0 as Marc-Vivien Foe gives the ball straight to Thompson who cuts in before lashing home a low 20 yarder
28 Andy Cole slips Dwight Yorke in but Peter Schmeichel saves his shot
36 Brad Friedel tips over a pile-driver from Nicolas Anelka
54 It's 2-0 as Cole tucks away his first of the season after Craig Short had intercepted a Shaun Wright-Phillips pass
67 Danny Tiatto is sent off just six minutes after coming on following a vicious lunge at Thompson
74 Yorke is one-on-one with Schmeichel but the giant Dane saves the day
74 Schmeichel claws away a close-range header from Berg
80 City are handed a life-line as Anelka fires home following slick work between Benarbia and Berkovic
90 Disaster strikes as Shaun Goater grabs a dramatic equaliser after Berkovic opens up Rovers' defence
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