COVENTRY City earned their first FA Cup quarter-final berth in 11 years after a Leon Best header set them up for a mouth-watering last-eight fixture with Premier League Chelsea infront of another record home crowd at the Ricoh Arena.

A season-best 22,793 fans watched Best nod home the winner just before the hour mark from a Jordan Henderson cross.

And Chris Coleman's side also comfortably saw out four minutes of injury time to deny Sam Allardyce's side a second consecutive late comeback.

The sides went into the half-time break on level terms after a goal less first 45 minutes.

Premier League Rovers had opportunities to threaten the City goal with a handful of semi-dangerous shots from Benni McCarthy, Jason Roberts and Keith Treacy.

But the Sky Blues had by far the better chances to break the deadlock through Clinton Morrison, young on-loan winger Jordan Henderson and centre-back Elliott Ward.

Ward had the earliest real effort at goal after 19 minutes, rising to meet Danny Fox's deep corner but steering his downward header wide.

The best chances of the half though were saved for the last ten minutes when Morrison disposed a grounded Jason Brown in the Rovers goal but could only fire a shot into the side netting from an acute angle.

He then laid on a pass for Henderson who tapped the ball over the head of Danny Simpson and giving chase although Brown was too quick off his goal line.

The sky Blues maintainedthe pace after the restart though, Eastwood earning a corner almost straight from the kick-of after his shot was blocked.

After that is was a relatively quiet period in the game as both sides continued to spar.

The Ricoh Arena erupted on 58 minutes though when Henderson floated a cross at the near post for Best to flick a header past Brown.

Best almost had a second 12 minutes from time when Henderson left Danny Simpson for dead in the corner and put in a low cross for the masked striker whose shot on the turn went straight into Brown's chest.

He had another effort with nine minutes to go, Doyle nodding a crossfield ball into his path, Best shooting at Brown's legs.

Blackburn substitute Roque Santa Cruz had a half chance two minutes later, his weak header bouncing infront of Westwood who eventually collected.

But Morrison almost finished off the tie as the game moved into injury time, Doyle again using his head to find Morrison whose own header was saved at close range by Brown.

City fans' hearts skipped a beat in the third of four minutes of injury time, Chris Samba heading across Westwood's goal and narrowly wide.

But it was to be City's night as they restricted Blackburn to punted balls upfield and continually chased down their opponents to record a memorable victory and bring them just a win away from Wembley.

Attendance: 22,793 (917 away)

Teams

Coventry City: Westwood, Fox, Wright, Turner, Ward, Gunnarsson, Doyle, Henderson, Eastwood (Simpson 86), Morrison, Best
Subs: Marshall (GK), Hall, Beuzelin, Osbourne, Thornton, Cain

Blackburn Rovers: Brown, Samba, Tugay, McCarthy, Khizanishvili (Givet 80), Mokoena, Villanueva (Santa Cruz 66), Simpson, Treacy (Warnock 66), Olsson, Roberts
Subs: Robinson (GK), Nelsen, Pedersen, Doran