Same old blunder business for poor Sasa

IF Charlton goalkeeper Sasa Ilic ever comes to write his memoirs, Ewood Park will definitely not figure on his list of favourite locations.

Depleted Blackburn Rovers claimed a morale-boosting place in the FA Cup fourth round after a forgettable game and tightrope performance.

But the Australian-born Yugoslav keeper just had to have the last word.

"You don't have to be mad to be a goalkeeper but it helps" runs the old saying - not in Sasa's case it doesn't.

A month ago, Ilic 'threw' Kevin Davies's run-of-the-mill shot into the net and handed a desperate young striker a scoring lifeline and Rovers three invaluable points.

New game, new year, but Ilic was still in the same old blunder business as he finally signalled FA Cup relief for Ewood by playing a significant role in the crucial second goal.

And anyone who thought Jason Wilcox's late strike was merely the icing on a cake already decorated by a first-half Davies goal, should think again.

For Charlton had the Ewood fans worried. Having sat back on their lead, a much-changed and makeshift Rovers side was treading a fine line.

But then up stormed Sasa to lend his considerable weight to a corner, clearly believing it was desperation time.

You can almost imagine the rest. Rovers break away and score past a keeper who arrives back in his own territory just in time to see the ball whizzing past him!

Rovers fans couldn't stop laughing. Charlton were in the depths of despair.

First team coach Mervyn Day had spent virtually the entire game advising and cajoling from the edge of the technical area.

And he had also been Ilic's number one supporter, defending him stoically for his previous Ewood error.

But this crazy caper was the final straw for Day who promptly scurried back to the benches, never to be seen again.

It also rendered manager Alan Curbishley virtually speechless - a scenario completed when a false fire alarm interrupted his post-match Press conference with orders to evacuate the building!

But not before the Charlton boss had given his view on the keeper's decision to vacate his goal.

"No we didn't tell him to go up for the corner," confirmed Curbishley. "I am staggered by his actions with something like seven minutes left. "He said he was looking at the clock but perhaps he forgot that someone stands there with a big board telling you how long there is to add on."

Curbishley spoke with the resigned air of a man who fears the worst as Charlton have a monopoly on hard-luck stories at the moment.

Brian Kidd's squad was decimated by injuries, illness and suspension - though Charlton had some key absentees too - and Rovers fans were understandably nervous about the outcome.

There was reasonable cause for concern. Charlton had played quite well on their last visit and did so again, in terms of possession and chances.

But the blunt truth is that they lacked enough genuine quality to hurt a Rovers side unrecognisable from the one which would normally appear if all were available.

The atmosphere was subdued - not helped by the distracting appearance on the scoreboard of details of games elsewhere - and Charlton had the better first-half chances in a scrappy affair.

There wasn't really a creative force in Rovers' midfield, they did not threaten too much up front but they didn't do badly defensively, considering the getting-to-know-you exercise.

And, after a great save by John Filan from Neil Redfearn and an Andy Hunt header which hit a post, Rovers took a 44th-minute lead.

Marlon Broomes hoisted a long ball forward, Davies challenged and won the aerial duel with two Charlton central defenders and was first to react to the loose ball. He advanced a couple of yards and, from the edge of the penalty area, stuck a superb left-foot shot in the bottom corner. The Londoners' game plan, to defend in depth and break, was in tatters and Davies, finding more space than on many occasions, could have put the game beyond them in the early part of the second half.

But then Rovers played a dangerous game and sat back, John Robinson struck the outside of a post and both sides shuffled their formations - one to get back in it, the other to hold what they had.

Territorially, Charlton threatened an equaliser but there were few moments of genuine alarm - unlike later! -and, with two minutes of normal time to go, it was settled.

Up went Ilic for a corner, Keith Gillespie broke away on the right and, intelligently and skilfully, hit a crossfield pass to Wilcox, charging forward in the inside left channel.

Ilic had just about regained his ground - aided by a defender who had gone to the line - but Wilcox showed excellent control and a fierce finish from the edge of the penalty area to make the keeper's dramatic retreat irrelevant.

It certainly wasn't a classic but the result was as good as it gets when you look at Rovers' list of absentees.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.