Football: Flowers may face FA disciplinary charge

Coventry City 2 Blackburn Rovers

Coventry City 2 Blackburn Rovers 0

The Blackburn goalkeeper Tim Flowers will miss the start of next season and could be charged with misconduct by the Football Association after being sent off at Coventry without even making it on to the pitch.

The England keeper, an unused substitute at Highfield Road, was warming up along the touchline when he was angered by linesman Paul Vosper's decision to point out a handball in the penalty area by defender Patrik Valery to referee Steve Lodge.

After Dion Dublin had converted the 19th-minute spot-kick - which made him the Premiership's joint top scorer with 17 goals - Flowers continued to launch a tirade of abuse at the referee's assistant and was given his marching orders - bizarrely leaving his team still with 11 players on the pitch.

Lodge said: "I understand the words he used, which were of a foul and abusive nature, were repeated a few times. One word was repeated on at least four separate occasions. It's the first time I've ever heard of it happening at professional level."

The result left Blackburn needing to win their last game of the season - at home to Newcastle next Sunday - to ensure a place in next season's Uefa Cup.

Goals: Dublin (19) 1-0; Boateng (34) 2-0.

Coventry City: Hedman; Shaw, Burrows, Breen, Nilsson, Whelan, Telfer, Soltvedt, Boateng (Boland, 86), Dublin, Huckerby (Moldovan, 68). Substitutes not used: Williams, Hall, Ogrizovic (gk).

Blackburn Rovers: Filan; Kenna, Valery (Duff, 45), Hendry, Henchoz, Croft, Wilcox, Flitcroft, McKinlay (Dahlin, 66), Gallacher, Sutton. Substitutes not used: Ripley, Broomes, Flowers (gk).

Referee: S J Lodge (Barnsley).

Sending-off: Ipswich: Flowers. Bookings: Coventry: Huckerby. Blackburn: Sutton.

Man of the match: Boateng.

Attendance: 18,794.