Blyth Spartans 0-1 Blackburn

By Julian Shea

Gildea (left) set up Blyth's best chance in the dying seconds

Blackburn produced an efficient display to see off non-league Blyth and reach the FA Cup fourth round.

The closest Rovers came to a first-half goal was Matt Derbyshire's shot put into his own net by Andrew Leeson, but Derbyshire was off-side anyway.

Carlos Villanueva's curling free-kick in the second half finally gave Rovers the lead their dominance deserved.

Andrew Wright wasted Blyth's best chance when he volleyed Alex Gildea's cross off-target in the dying stages.

Villaneuva looked dangerous early on and tried a couple of efforts from range before threading a pass through into the path of Derbyshire as he bore down on goal, but he was denied by an expertly-timed block by Kenny Boyle.

Despite dominating early possession, it was a while before Rovers got a shot on target, from Keith Treacy, but Mark Bell in the Spartans goal did well to turn it round the post.

Blackburn were comfortably on top in the first quarter but complacency almost set in when Aaron Mokoena's poor clearance went straight to Ged Dalton.

But the threat vanished the second he made contact with the ball, as the man who scored the winning goal in the second round ballooned the ball into the crowd behind Mark Bunn's goal.

This warning shot inspired Rovers to go on the attack once again, and around the half-hour mark, they thought they had taken the lead.

Treacy's shot was deflected into path of Derbyshire, whose spectacular overhead kick from the right-hand side of the box was deflected in off the head of defender Leeson.

But fortunately for Blyth, Derbyshire had been flagged offside and they stayed on level terms.

Blyth began the second half in confident mood, but then fell behind on the hour mark.

Jason Roberts was standing on the touchline waiting to replace Villanueva when the Chilean's persistence won him a free-kick on the right-hand side of the box.

He picked himself off the ground to curl a beautiful shot into the top left corner before being replaced.

On 75 minutes, Keith Andrews wasted a glorious chance to wrap up the win when he blasted over from close range following Alan Judge's unselfish lay-off.

With time running out, Blyth's first clear chance of the night fell to the unmarked Wright when he got on the end of Gildea's cross but his shot was way off target.

Robbie Dale also tried a desperate late overhead kick, but it was the visitors who advanced to the fourth round and a trip to Sunderland.

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Blyth Spartans: Mark Bell, Boyle, Pell, Leeson, White (Todd 63), Reay, McCabe, Williams, Gildea, Dale, Dalton (Wright 70). Subs Not Used: Farman, Brown, Hume, Poole, Watson.

Blackburn: Bunn, Simpson, Mokoena, Khizanishvili, Olsson, Vogel, Grella (Andrews 60), Treacy, Judge, Villanueva (Roberts 59), Derbyshire (Hodge 83). Subs Not Used: Brown, Gunning, Doran, Haworth.

Booked: Mokoena.

Goals: Villanueva 58.

Att: 3,445

Ref: Andre Marriner (W Midlands).