Joshua King scored three times to help Blackburn Rovers see off Stoke City 4-1 at Ewood Park and book their place in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.
The hosts found themselves a goal down inside 10 minutes when Peter Crouch fired home from a corner, but former Manchester United academy product King levelled up with a smart glancing header before winning his side a penalty which Rudy Gestede tucked away.
Geoff Cameron was shown a straight red card for his challenge on the lively 23-year-old, and Rovers made their man advantage count by scoring two goals in the space of 10 minutes following the restart.
Relive Sports Mole's live text coverage of the dramatic cup clash below.
2pmHello and welcome to Sports Mole's live text coverage of the FA Cup fifth-round meeting between Blackburn Rovers and Stoke City at Ewood Park.
2.02pmBoth sides will be looking to progress to the quarter-finals of this competition with their respective league campaigns somewhat stagnant at the moment. Rovers have already seen off one Premier League side this term, edging out Swansea City in the last round, while Stoke have had an easier path through with victories over lower-league opposition up to now.
2.03pmKickoff is now less than an hour away, so let's get straight into things by taking a look at how these sides line up...
2.05pmSTOKE CITY TEAM NEWS!
STARTING XI: Butland; Cameron, Muniesa, Wollscheid, Bardsley; Arnautovic, Nzonzi, Whelan, Moses; Crouch, Diouf
SUBSTITUTES: Sorensen; Wilkinson, Adam, Teixeira, Shenton, Palacios; Sidwell
2.07pmWe are still awaiting confirmation of the home side's starting lineup, so let's begin by taking a look at the team named by visiting manager Mark Hughes this afternoon. The Welshman has made just the one change to the side that lost heavily against Manchester City last time out, bringing in Jack Butland in place of Asmir Begovic between the sticks. The England international is a regular in cup competitions, using it as a chance to impress his manager to potentially break into the first team on a more regular basis.
2.09pmJonathan Walters failed a late fitness test we understand, but even without the Irishman this is still a very strong Stoke City starting lineup at Edwood Park, which highlights just how seriously the Potters are taking the FA Cup this term. It means that Peter Crouch will link up with Mame Biram Diouf up top once more, while Mark Arnautovic and Victor Moses will provide the width.
2.11pmThere is a place among the substitutes for 17-year-old Oliver Shenton, meanwhile, and the youngster will be looking to make an impression should he be called upon following fresh on the back of his league debut against Man City in the week. Steve Sidwell, Charlie Adam and Wilson Palacios can all offer some midfield steel should it be required, with an experienced bench to go alongside the strong starting XI.
2.13pmBLACKBURN ROVERS TEAM NEWS!
STARTING XI: Eastwood, Henley, Duffy, Kilgallon, Olsson, Taylor, Cairney, Williamson, Marshall, Gestede, King
SUBSTITUTES: Steele, Spurr, Hanley, Rhodes, Varney, Evans, Conway
2.15pmA whopping eight changes for Rovers, then, with Eastwood, Henley, Duffy, Taylor, Williamson, Marshall, King and Gestede all coming into the side. Noticeably, Jordan Rhodes has been left on the bench, Gary Bowyer instead opting to field Josh King alongside top scorer Rudy Gestede.
2.17pmThe Benin international came off the bench to set up his side's winning goal against Rotherham United in midweek, and with all focus firmly on the FA Cup he was always likely to start against Stoke this afternoon. Further back, Simon Eastwood has been selected in goals once more as he continues to deputise for Jason Steele in the FA Cup.
2.20pmCraig Conway is another man who will be disappointed not to have been handed a starting berth for this last-16 tie, but should Rovers be chasing a goal they can call on the former Cardiff City man along with marksman Rhodes, both of whom know how to find the net. Luke Varney is also among Blackburn's backups, meanwhile, as Bowyer opts to ring the changes.
2.22pmStoke boss Mark Hughes speaks to the media pre-match in the Ewood Park tunnel area:
MH: Our mentality has to be right today. Blackburn will be a real test this afternoon. #SCFC @FACupAdventure pic.twitter.com/ngA6kv5IEI
— Stoke City FC (@stokecity) February 14, 20152.25pmSo both sides will be keen to continue their FA Cup adventures this afternoon by progressing through, with their respective league campaigns perhaps looking a little stagnant at this stage. Both are camped firmly in mid-table, although Rovers can still reach the Championship playoffs should they overcome their serious lack of consistency. Bowyer's men have failed to win back-to-back games since the start of November, which has put a serious dent into their promotion aspirations.
2.28pmOn the plus side, Blackburn have a chance to perhaps put a little run together in the league over the coming weeks with games against a struggling Cardiff side and bottom of the table Blackpool to come. They follow up those fixtures against two other sides with promotion aspirations of their own in the shape of Norwich City and Bournemouth, so by the time February is out we will know a lot more about this Rovers outfit. Today is all about the cup, though, and supporters are in confident spirits heading into the game, confident that they can see off Premier League opposition once again.
2.30pmSwansea City were the victims at this ground in the fourth round, falling to a 3-1 reverse, while Charlton Athletic provided a somewhat sterner test in the previous round at The Valley. The Lancashire outfit came out on top 2-1 in that tie, but now is when things really start to get interesting with the quarter-finals on offer to today's victory.
2.33pmThe main talking point heading into the game surrounds Stoke boss Mark Hughes, who comes up against another of his former sides this afternoon. He will be hoping for a happier return than the 4-1 drubbing against Man City on Wednesday night, and he returns to Ewood Park with fond memories from his four years here. The Welshman led the club to successive top-seven finishes in the top flight, and he can also add a first FA Cup semi-final in some 40 years to his CV. Of course, a lot has changed then for both Hughes at Blackburn, not least with the Blue and Whites now playing football at a level beneath the Premier League.
2.36pmWhile Blackburn still have something to play for in the Championship, it's a different case for Stoke who are essentially just ticking down the games at this stage looking to climb up a place at a time in the Premier League. Relegation is out of the question and a spot in Europe looks extremely unlikely, but a mid-table finish is certainly not something to be brushed aside. Hughes admitted in the week that this competition remains "a priority" for the Potters this term, so defeat here today would be disastrous.
2.39pmStoke come into this meeting on the back of a decent run of form, despite that defeat at home to the Premier League champions a few days ago, claiming seven points from the last 12 on offer. They also have a nice set of fixtures to look forward to with the likes of strugglers Aston Villa, Hull City, West Bromwich Albion, Crystal Palace and Everton providing the opposition up until the month of April. Finishing in the top eight would be quite something, yet leading the club to FA Cup glory would surely top even that as far as Hughes is concerned.
2.41pmKickoff is now a little under 20 minutes away in Lancashire:
Countdown to kick off at Ewood Park. #BRFC #SCFC #FACup @Signal2Official pic.twitter.com/goLM8Htq94
— Simon Humphreys (@SimonHumphreys1) February 14, 20152.43pmPREVIOUS MEETINGS: History suggests that there will be just one outcome this afternoon, with Stoke having defeated Blackburn in each of their last six competitive meetings. In terms of FA Cup clashes, the sides have met on two previous occasions before, sharing a 1-0 win apiece.
2.45pmDID YOU KNOW? The omens may not look too good for Rovers as far as previous meetings between these sides goes, but their record at Ewood Park in the FA Cup is pretty incredible. The Blue and Whites have lost just two of their last 20 home games in the famous competition, winning 14 of those matches and drawing four.
2.48pmThis is not the only FA Cup game being played this afternoon, of course, with six other sides also in action as the FA Cup reaches the last-16 stage. West Bromwich Albion have already thumped fellow Premier League opposition West Ham United 4-0 at The Hawthorns to become the first side through to the quarters, while elsewhere Derby County take on Reading and Crystal Palace host Liverpool.
2.51pmThe exits of Chelsea, Manchester City, Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur among others in the previous round has really opened up the competition, with the likes of Blackburn and Stoke harbouring real hopes of lifting the cup in May. Rovers provide the toughest opposition for Hughes' charges thus far, having overcome potential banana skin ties at Rochdale and Wrexham in the third and fourth round. Can the Premier League side step up to the challenge here today? Not long until we find out now.
2.54pmPREDICTION: I'm expecting this to be a tight affair, although the fact that City have named such a strong side proves just how seriously they are taking this competition. Football is not played on paper, though, and so often down the years we have seen Premier League clubs humbled at lower league opposition when things looked to be massively in their favour. Blackburn are hardly huge underdogs, either, sitting just 18 places below their opponents in the pyramid. That's why I'm predicting this one to finish as a 1-1 draw.
2.57pmWell the teams are now out onto the field with kickoff just a few short minutes away. The Potters have sold out the bottom half of the away stand this afternoon, although due to police advice tickets for the upper tier did not go on sale. Did not go down too well with Stoke supporters, although I'm sure they'll be in fine voice from the off.
0 minKICKOFF! Blackburn get this FA Cup fifth-round tie underway, sporting their traditional blue and white strip.
2 minIt's been a slow start to the game due to an injury picked up by Ben Marshall inside the opening minute. He had to receive some treatment, so there's been no action of note thus far.
4 minMarshall is fit to continue following that early knock, by the way, and his side had just half a chance to take an early lead a few moments ago. King managed to get in behind the Stoke defence before being shoved off the ball by Muniesa. Had that been outside the box a free kick would have been given, but it would have been harsh had Anthony Taylor pointed to the spot then.
6 minIt's been an incredibly stop-start opening to the contest due to various incidents around the field. It will surely settle down a little more over the next few minutes, but which side will be first to find some momentum?
8 minArnautovic got himself into a good position on the right-side of the opposition area and had three teammates to pick out in the centre, but he was unable to find a read and white top. Stoke just beginning to up the early pressure a little.
10 minGOAL! BLACKBURN ROVERS 0-1 STOKE CITY (CROUCH)
11 minStoke City take the lead inside 10 minutes at Ewood Park thanks to a Peter Crouch goal. Moses swung in a corner from the right which Blackburn did not deal with at all, allowing the striker to fire the ball into the roof of the net from six yards out.
12 minBLACKBURN SUB: A double blow for Rovers, as Marshall is unable to continue following that early knock picked up. It's a like-for-like change with Craig Conway coming on in his place.
14 minN'Zonzi, a former Blackburn player of course, is the latest to go down following a clash. I make that four separate injury concerns inside the opening 15 minutes, which has created a frustrating stop-start contest. Stoke won't mind too much, as it is they who hold a slender lead.
17 minSAVE! Diouf tries his luck with a shot from the left side of the area following a knock down from Crouch, which forces Eastwood to palm it behind. Aranautovic was the next to try his luck in the next attacking move, firing the ball into the side-netting when played in by Diouf. Stoke starting to show their Premier League class now.
18 minYELLOW CARD! Lee Williamson had done well to avoid a yellow card following a series of niggling challenges, but this time he does enter the referee's book for a foul on N'Zonzi.
20 minCHANCE! King squanders a brilliant opening to level things up, picking up the ball in a central position inside the box and in plenty of room to shoot, although he failed to keep his effort down and it clipped the bar on its way over. Stoke's defenders seemed more concerned about marking Gestede, meaning his fellow forward was left free.
22 minYELLOW CARD! Diouf becomes the second player to enter the referee's book inside the opening quarter of the game for a serious of persistent fouls. There have been so many challenges, yet it has certainly been entertaining tie over the last 15 minutes or so.
25 minI mentioned how there was a severe lack of rhythm in the early stages, well since then it has been pretty frantic. I can't see the pace remaining at this high level for the duration. Stoke have been the better side, but Blackburn have also posed threats in attack, best highlighted by that chance which fell King's way.
27 minThe 'sold out' away section at Ewood Park, which has been capped to just one tier due to police advice:
Stoke at Blackburn. #SCFC pic.twitter.com/ZrcTIvSjKb
— The Away Fans (@theawayfans) February 14, 201529 minCHANCE! It really should be 2-0. Moses saw his shot parried by Eastwood between the sticks, although Diouf could not find the target after being picked out around six yards from goal.
31 minThings have quietened down a little over the past few minutes, with Blackburn's biggest threat coming through the lively Joshua King. Stoke should be a couple of goals ahead, but it is still tight and tense as we surpass the 30-minute mark.
33 minSpeaking of King, the 23-year-old is involved again in the hosts' latest attacking move, heading over a cross from the left narrowly over the bar. Not the worst attempt with what was a difficult opportunity, as Rovers look to build up some momentum.
35 minGOAL! BLACKBURN ROVERS 1-1 STOKE CITY (KING)
36 minWe're all-square in Lancashire with the best player on the field finding the net to make it 1-1. Craig Conway's whipped corner was headed goalwards by Duffy, and standing in front of Jack Butland was Joshua King who simply flicked the ball beyond the Potters stopper with his head. A classic poacher's goal, that.
38 minBlackburn just about deserve to be level following a spell of pressure prior to that King goal, using that missed chance from Diouf 10 minutes ago to spring them into life. Stoke a little rattled now with half time fast approaching.
40 minYELLOW CARD! King once more causes problems out on the left-hand side, looking to burst in around the back before being shoved off the ball by Wollscheid who earns a yellow card of his own. Plenty of passion being shown on the pitch, which is reflected in the mounting caution count.
42 minA note on the playing surface at Ewood Park, which it's fair to say is not the greatest. The ball is bouncing horribly on occasions which is making things a little difficult for the players to read.
45 minCHANCE! The first-half comeback was very nearly completed by Rovers, who were a Rudy Gestede miskick away from taking the lead. It is perhaps unsurprising to hear that King created the chance, again getting the better of Wollscheid who is growing increasingly concerned on a yellow card, although after centring the ball for his teammate the Benin international failed to make the desired contact right in front of goal.
45+1 minThis match is so open even in these dying seconds of the half, with Stoke this time pressing forward and coming close through Diouf who was inches away from latching onto Arnautovic's cross six yards from goal.
45+3 minKing's cross into the box bounces around which allows Duffy to latch onto it, but he headed the awkward chance over the bar. Eight minutes have been added on at the end of the half, incidentally, following a succession of early injury concerns.
45+5 minOFF THE LINE! Wollscheid rescues Butland, who came for a cross and was left in no man's land. A shot was stabbed goalwards but the full-back was on hand to clear away. Great end to what has been a frantic first half.
45+6 minPENALTY TO BLACKBURN! Another twist to this tie as Cameron pulls back the lively King to concede a penalty and earn a red card.
45+7 minGOAL! BLACKBURN ROVERS 2-1 STOKE CITY (GESTEDE, PEN)
45+8 minComeback complete in the seventh minute of added time at the end of the first half. What a game this has been, and having fallen behind inside 10 minutes Gestede makes amends for his earlier howler in front of goal to make it 2-1 from the spot with a spot kick right down the middle.
45+9 minHALF TIME: BLACKBURN ROVERS 2-1 STOKE CITY
3.58pmAn exhilarating first half comes to a close at Ewood Park with Blackburn Rovers holding a 2-1 lead over Stoke City. Peter Crouch fired the Potters ahead on 10 minutes with a strike from close range, and the visitors could have doubled their advantage with chances falling the way of Arnautovic and Diouf.
4pmFootball is all about fine margins, though, and having managed to find some momentum Rovers managed to level through the half's best player in Joshua King. Both sides saw chances come and go to take the lead, but it was to be the hosts who edged ahead in the sixth minute of added time through Gestede's penalty.
4.03pmThat came about after Cameron shoved that man King off the ball inside the area, earning himself a red card to add to his side's woes, meaning that the Premier League outfit really do have a tough 45 minutes ahead of themselves now in Lancashire. Their FA Cup campaign is on the brink of collapse unless they can salvage something with a one-man disadvantage.
4.06pmBENCH WATCH!
BLACKBURN ROVERS SUBS: Steele, Spurr, Hanley, Rhodes, Varney, Evans
STOKE CITY SUBS: Sorensen, Wilkinson, Adam, Teixeira, Shenton, Palacios, Sidwell
4.08pmThe teams are now back out onto the field following a well-deserved 15-minute rest. Below is a reminder of the subs available to both sides, with Blackburn already being forced into one change of course following that early injury picked up by Marshall. Let's hope this second half can match what we saw in the opening 45 minutes.
45 minSECOND HALF UNDERWAY! Stoke, with a man disadvantage and a goal behind, get proceedings back underway in Lancashire. There's news of a couple of changes to bring you from the break - Andy Wilkinson on for Marko Arnautovic for the Potters; Corry Evans on for Lee Williamson as far as the hosts are concerned.
47 minStoke win an early free kick which is headed away by the Blackburn defence. It will be interesting to see what sort of pattern this half develops as the favourites of course have to chase a goal. Does that means Rovers will sit back, soak up pressure and hit their opponents on the break, or instead continue from where they left off in the opening 45 minutes?
49 minSpeaking of kicking on from where the first half left off, King is continuing to cause all sorts of problems down his flank. This is a phenomenal performance from the attacker, justifying his manager's decision to leave Rhodes on the bench.
49 minSpeaking of kicking on from where the first half left off, King is continuing to cause all sorts of problems down his flank. This is a phenomenal performance from the attacker, justifying his manager's decision to leave Rhodes on the bench.
50 minGOAL! BLACKBURN ROVERS 3-1 STOKE CITY (KING)
51 minOne of the great cup performances from Joshua King this afternoon, who has bagged a second goal which his showing more than deserves. Gestede held the ball up before lofting it into his teammate's path, and after shrugging off the challenge of Muniesa, King kept his composure to slot through Butland's legs.
53 minSTOKE CITY SUB: Things go from bad to worse for Stoke, who have now lost Muniesa to what looks to be a nasty injury. He needed help hobbling off the pitch, seeing his afternoon come to an end with Sidwell on in his place.
55 minMark Hughes lost 4-1 against one former club a few days ago, remember, and I wouldn't bet against the same happening here. Blackburn are rampant now, and it is possibly a case of damage limitation for 10-man Stoke.
56 minGOAL! BLACKBURN ROVERS 4-1 STOKE CITY (KING)
57 minThis is incredible. Former Manchester United youth product Joshua King has produced the FA Cup's finest individual performance of the season to date, adding to his two-goal haul by bursting clean through and calmly stroking the ball home. If the game wasn't over beforehand, it certainly is now.
59 minThere's a real party atmosphere inside Ewood Park now. Well, in three sections of the famous old ground, anyway...
Today's Attendance: 13,934 (including 4737 visiting supporters).
— Blackburn Rovers (@OneRovers) February 14, 201561 minStoke appear to have learned their lessons having held a high line, which allowed King to run riot in the opening 10 minutes or so of this second half. It's all too little, too late as far as the visitors are concerned, though, as Blackburn continue to knock the ball around with ease.
63 minSHOT! Evans forces a simple save out of Butland with his shot from the edge of the area. Incredibly, it's just a case of Blackburn going through the motions now to see this game out. It's all too easy for them, and I'm pretty sure Stoke would settle for 4-1 now because it's not going to get any better for them.
65 minSAVE! Fantastic stop from Butland to stop his side conceding a fifth. Olsson's deep cross from the left was met by Gestede, and his towering header was heading straight for the back of the net if not for the Englishman's point-blank save.
67 minSTOKE SUB: Hughes, seemingly admitting defeat, withdraws Moses with his final change. Charlie Adam comes on in his place to add some much-needed steel in midfield.
69 minCLOSE! Conway produces a fine, weaving run to cut through what remains of Stoke's backline, although he couldn't match the same composure shown by King before him, dragging the ball an inch or two wide of the target with his attempt when in on goal.
71 minSo frustrating for Stoke supporters, whose hopes are not helped by Diouf's wayward strike. An attacking move for the visitors, at least.
73 minTo the relief of the Potters, the game has quietened down since that fourth Blackburn goal. It's no coincidence that this barren run has coincided with King failing to get on the ball as much as he had been.
75 minPENALTY APPEAL! Stoke have been denied what appeared to be a pretty solid penalty appeal, as a handball inside the Blackburn box goes unpunished. One goal may change things slightly as far as the Premier League club are concerned, but it doesn't appear as though they are going to find one.
78 minBlackburn supporters are urging their side on as we approach the final 10 minutes, but Gary Bowyer's men seem happy to just knock the ball around and sit on this hefty lead. A fifth is there for the taking, although they are remaining professional in order to see the task through.
79 minBLACKBURN ROVERS SUB: A standing ovation for Joshua King, who is replaced by Luke Varney for the final 11 minutes or so at Ewood Park. This has been one of the classic FA Cup performances from the Norwegian international; three goals to his name and an all-round sizzling display.
81 minSo successive 4-1 thrashings staring Stoke in the face, then, who are now left to focus on their Premier League aspirations. A top-half finish is more than likely, but this will feel like a massive opportunity wasted having named such a strong lineup. Blackburn on the other hand will surely take real momentum from this into the final third of their Championship campaign, starting at Cardiff City on Tuesday night.
81 minSo successive 4-1 thrashings staring Stoke in the face, then, who are now left to focus on their Premier League aspirations. A top-half finish is more than likely, but this will feel like a massive opportunity wasted having named such a strong lineup. Blackburn on the other hand will surely take real momentum from this into the final third of their Championship campaign, starting at Cardiff City on Tuesday night.
83 minYELLOW CARD! Cairney fouls Diouf to earn himself a yellow card. Not a great deal of action since Blackburn's fourth goal, with that fine Butland stop from Gestede's header the only real talking point, while Conway also squandered a decent opening.
84 minYELLOW CARD! Phil Bardsley goes in with his studs to earn a ninth booking of the term. Meanwhile, Conway shoots narrowly wide as he looks to add to his three goals from his last six outings.
85 minYELLOW CARD! The game is ended the way it started, with a succession of challenges breaking up the play to halt any momentum. Whelan lunges in to become the latest player to receive a caution.
87 minWhat a bizarre moment. Referee Anthony Taylor got his red card out ready to issue it to Glenn Whelan, but having spoken to the fourth official on the touchline he put it back into his pocket. He didn't look too confident whether the midfielder was the guilty party, and with the game already up he opted to give Whelan a reprieve.
89 minStoke need the full time whistle to go. They have so many players walking a disciplinary tightrope, and every 30 seconds the referee is blowing his whistle to halt play. I wouldn't be surprised to see them go down to nine men before the game does eventually end.
90+1 minGOAL DISALLOWED! Gestede has the ball in the back of the net once more, but referee Anthony Taylor ruled it out after the striker was adjudged to have fouled Butland, who had initially spilled the ball.
90+2 minEastwood is called into action for the first time this half to race out and collect the ball before Diouf can get to it. This will be one of the stand-in keeper's quietest 90-minute shifts.
90+3 minFULL TIME: BLACKBURN ROVERS 4-1 STOKE CITY
4.59pmStoke are finally put out of their misery as the referee blows for full time at Ewood Park. It was an afternoon which started so well for the visitors thanks to Crouch's opener which now seems like a lifetime ago, because since that 10th-minute strike Blackburn found the net on four occasions to run away with the contest.
5.02pmJoshua King was the standout player, scoring three times and proving to be an all-round nuisance before being withdrawn 10 minutes from time. Gestede also added his name to the scoresheet from the spot, following Geoff Cameron's challenge inside the box which earned him a red card at the end of the first half.
5.04pmWell that's all from me following what has been a hugely entertaining FA Cup clash at Ewood Park, in a contest which saw Blackburn Rovers prevail 4-1 against Stoke City to book their place in the quarter-finals of the famous competitions.
