Blackburn Rovers 1 Coventry City 4:Michael Mifsud scored twice as giantkillers Coventry marched into the FA Cup fourth round at the expense of below-par Blackburn.

The Malta international, nicknamed the Mosquito due to his 5ft 5in frame and deadly finishing, opened the scoring and added a late fourth to take his season's tally to 15.

His goals sandwiched second-half strikes from Elliott Ward and Dele Adebola and sent 3,000 visiting supporters into raptures.

Iain Dowie's men are languishing in 17th in the Championship, but they left their Premier League hosts utterly humiliated and can add this scalp to their League Cup win at Manchester United earlier in the season.

Mifsud's brace against the Red Devils clinched the famous 2-0 win at Old Trafford and he enhanced his reputation further with a 34th-minute opener at Ewood Park.

Defender Ward's expertly-taken penalty put Dowie's men 2-0 ahead before Adebola made sure with a clinical third to ensure David Bentley's late effort meant little to stunned Rovers boss Mark Hughes.

It was fitting that Mifsud had the final say with a superb fourth and while hundreds of Blackburn followers marched out of Ewood Park in disgust, Coventry fans toasted another memorable success.

Little more than a fortnight ago the Sky Blues - FA Cup winners in 1987 - were faced with the grim prospect of entering administration and being docked 10 points. Ray Ranson's group Sisu Capital bought the club to avert that fate and Dowie's men again showed their potential on the pitch.

Rovers boss Hughes will surely rue his decision to start with established regulars Stephen Warnock, Ryan Nelsen and Morten Gamst Pedersen on the substitutes' bench.