Blackburn Rovers recovered from an early scare at home to League Two Wrexham to comfortably win their FA Cup encounter and advance to a fifth round tie with Newcastle United.
Cheers from 7,000 visiting fans in a packed away end, Wrexham withstood early barrage from Blackburn before Andy Cannon opened the scoring with a powerful drive from the edge of the penalty area.
Championship top scorer Sammy Schmodics scored the equalizer for Rovers after a counterattack from Sam Gallagher, taking advantage of a blood loss to the head of Wrexham goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo to score the hosts less than two minutes later. The team took the lead.
Schmodics extended Blackburn's lead with his second goal in first-half stoppage time, and Sondre Tronstad added a fourth after the break with a deflected shot.
John Dar Thomasson's side will host former club Newcastle at Ewood Park next month with a place in the quarter-finals on the line, but Wrexham's departure means Wales will no longer be interested in this season's FA Cup.
These teams are split into two divisions, but the visiting team was defeated last season by another Championship club, Coventry City, as Blackburn are 18th in the Championship and Wrexham are aiming for promotion from League Two. They were hoping to overturn adversity like they did as a National League team.
Wrexham have attracted more attention than your average fourth division team, thanks to Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, a Disney documentary series and more. The fact that 7,000 fans made the game feel like a home match only added to the energy for the Welsh club's protagonists.
Blackburn, keen not to become a plotline in a future “Welcome to Wrexham” episode, quickly took control of the game, outsmarting their opponents with fluid passing and sharp movement and creating several chances.
The first goal came in the 3rd minute when Schmodics fired a shot wide of the target after Gallagher's cut-back, but seconds later goalkeeper Okonkwo deflected it wide of goal, allowing Schmodics to cover for Wrexham captain Ben Tozer. The shot was blocked.
The visitors were struggling to maintain possession, but on a rare occasion when they pinched the ball inside Blackburn's half, the Dragons made the most of it, with Cannon firing home from 20 yards out.
Cannon tried to score a second goal from almost the same distance, but Blackburn keeper Ainsley Pears reacted well to tip James McLean's rebound over the bar.
The hosts were quickly back on top and deservedly equalized when Schmodics deflected a shot from close range after receiving a pass from Gallagher.
There didn't seem to be much danger as Gallagher flicked the ball past Max Cloewers and chased it, but when Okonkwo darted out and stopped short of the Rovers striker, Gallagher sent the goal almost empty. I poured it onto the internet.
Wrexham's defense was once again stretched thin as Blackburn scored their third goal, with Tronstad's simple lofted pass going over the top of the visiting defense and scoring to Szmodic, who coolly slotted it past Okonkwo. .
The goal was a desperate blow for Wrexham just before half-time, but any slim hopes of getting back into the game ended an hour later when Tronstad's shot hit Elliott Lee and went past Okonkwo. .
The remaining half-hour is a march for Rovers, who will be hoping to improve their patchy Championship form between now and Newcastle's visit on matchday five.
Wrexham, on the other hand, know their season will not be judged by games like this. Instead, their priority is to take the next step in their well-documented journey and earn promotion from League Two.
Blackburn manager John Dahl-Thomason told BBC's Match of the Day: “Playing in the FA Cup is special, games like this can be dangerous.
“We started very well and after five minutes we could have been 2-0 up, but we conceded.
“But the players remained calm and then we scored three great goals and dominated the game. It was a great win.”
“For Wrexham to bring 7,000 fans on a Monday night is incredible. That's the loyalty and passion of football.”
Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson said on BBC's Match of the Day: “It was a tough night for us, we played a good team.
“They have two strikers who are at the top of their game. Schmodics is the leading scorer in the Championship and he showed that tonight.
“It's a great lesson for us to play against higher quality opponents. You have to stay switched on or you'll be punished. Tonight they punished us.”
“Tonight wasn't a special night for us, but we're going to focus on the second half of the league season.”
lineup
blackburn
formation 3-4-2-1
- 1Pear
- 11Rankin CostelloReplacementAchesonin 83 minutesminutes
- FiveKhayyam
- 16S. Wharton
- TenDolanReplacementChriseenin 65 minutesminutes
- 30galetteBooked for 51 minutesReplacementAyariin 65 minutesminutes
- 6Tronstad
- 7SigurdssonReplacementmarkandeiin 89 minutesminutes
- twenty fourmoran
- 8Schmodics
- 9gallagherReplacementTelarovichin 65 minutesminutes
substitute
- 12Varstedt
- 14ennis
- 15gambling
- 18markandei
- twenty threewharton
- 31Acheson
- 33Telarovich
- 44Ayari
- 45Chriseen
Wrexham
formation 3-5-2
- 33Okonkwo
- 32Clewworth
- Fourtozer
- 15o'connellReplacementTunnicliffein 69 minutesminutes
- 29barnetReplacementMendyin 69 minutesminutes
- 20CannonReplacementjonesin 69 minutesminutes
- 12evans
- 38Lee
- twenty threemaclean
- TenmarineReplacementpalmerin 78 minutesminutes
- 18DalbyReplacementbickerstaffin 78 minutesminutes
substitute
- 3McFadzean
- Fivehayden
- 6Tunnicliffe
- 7davis
- 9palmer
- 19Mendy
- 27bickerstaff
- 30jones
- 31mcnicolas
- Referee:
- andy madley
- Attendance:
- 18,169
live text
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Game done, Blackburn Rovers 4, Wrexham 1.
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Halftime over, Blackburn Rovers 4, Wrexham 1.
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Sammy Schmodics (Blackburn Rovers) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Foul by James Jones (Wrexham).
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Dominic Higham (Blackburn Rovers) wins a free kick on the right.
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Foul by Ollie Palmer (Wrexham).
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Attempt saved. Sammy Schmodics (Blackburn Rovers) took a left-footed shot from the center of the box that was saved in the center of the goal. Assisted by Ben Chriseen.
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Substitute, Blackburn Rovers. Dilan Markandei replaces Arnor Sigurdsson.
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Andrew Moran (Blackburn Rovers) wins a free kick on the right.
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Foul by James McLean (Wrexham).
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I'm late. They are ready to continue.
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Match delay (Blackburn Rovers).
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Substitute, Blackburn Rovers. Tom Acheson replaces Joe Rankin-Costello.
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Attempt saved. Sammy Schmodics (Blackburn Rovers) fired a left-footed shot from the left of the box, but it was saved in the center of the goal. Supported by Semir Telalovic.
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Foul on Dominic Higham (Blackburn Rovers).
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Jake Bickerstaff (Wrexham) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Replacement, Wrexham. Jake Bickerstaff replaces Sam Dalby.
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Replacement, Wrexham. Olly Palmer replaces Paul Mullin.
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Attempt failed. Sammy Schmodics (Blackburn Rovers) took a right-footed shot from the left of the box, but it went just wide of the target. Assisted by Andrew Moran.
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Attempt blocked. Semir Telalovic (Blackburn Rovers) took a left-footed shot from the left of the box, but it was blocked. Assisted by Sammy Schmodics.