The Chronicle
Crewe Alex bowed out of the FA Cup when they fell to a Danny Graham strike at Gresty Road on Wednesday night.
The League Two strugglers battled hard but failed to bridge the gap in class against the League One visitors in the second round replay.
Graham’s clinical first half effort sealed it for Rovers, and though Chris Dagnall hit a post and Jordan Bowery went close in the final minute, in truth they should have won it more comfortably.
Now Crewe will turn their attentions to Saturday’s vital league visit of Crawley Town, assessing niggles and tired legs as the game comes around quickly.
The hosts were bidding to reach the third round of the competition for the first time in almost a decade, but with just one win in seven outings the form book looked against them.
In contrast the visitors, third in League One and unbeaten in a dozen games, arrived on a run of fine form and firm favourites to earn a home clash with Hull City in January.
The two sides were doing it all again after their first attempt to find a winner ended in a 3-3 draw at Ewood Park earlier this month.
That thriller, in which Rovers led 3-0 before having two men sent off and opening the door for an Alex fightback, was always going to be difficult to live up to on a chilly evening in South Cheshire.
The Lancashire Telegraph
THE FA Cup second round tie with Crewe Alexandra had proved to be something of tough nut for Rovers to crack.
Things looked to be going swimmingly in the first game as they raced in to a 3-0 lead inside 20 minutes, but from then on things weren’t so straightforward.
They lost that three goal advantage, as well as Elliott Bennett to a four game ban, while even getting the replay playable proved tricky after the initial game was postponed.
So Rovers will just have been glad to see the back of the League Two side in a game which they dominated from start to finish but had just Danny Graham’s 24th minute goal to show for it.
That sets up a home tie with Hull City in round three in January with attentions firmly focussed on a busy festive period before that.
BBC Sport
Danny Graham's first-half goal was enough for Blackburn to beat Crewe and secure a home FA Cup third-round tie against Championship side Hull.
The replay did not rival the drama of the 3-3 draw at Ewood Park, but Derrick Williams set up Graham to fire home.
His strike partner Joe Nuttall twice went close while Graham clipped the bar with a fine strike before half time.
Crewe improved and Chris Dagnall hit the upright while Jordan Bowery curled wide, but Rovers held firm.