Blackburn had keeper Paul Robinson to thank for two penalty saves that sent them into the Carling Cup semi-finals at Chelsea's expense, reports soccernet.espn.go.com.Rovers will now meet Aston Villa for the right to go to Wembley after former England keeper Robinson saved from Michael Ballack and teenager Gael Kakuta, who took the last kick.
Benni McCarthy, Brett Emerton, Vince Grella and David Hoilett scored Rovers' penalties, with Nikola Kalinic having his saved. Didier Drogba, Florent Malouda and Yury Zhirkov were successful for Chelsea.
In normal time, Blackburn had taken an early lead through Kalinic but Chelsea hit back after the break, with quick-fire goals from Drogba and Salomon Kalou, before Emerton's cross deceived keeper Henrique Hilario.
But, with Chelsea down to ten men after Kalou picked up an injury and having used all their substitutes at half-time, Rovers went ahead again through a McCarthy penalty, only for Paulo Ferreira to lash home the equaliser and force penalties.
Chelsea made the expected wholesale changes for this quarter-final, taking perhaps too much of a risk by resting seven players from the side that won at Arsenal on Saturday.
John Terry, Frank Lampard, Petr Cech, Ricardo Carvalho, Nicolas Anelka, Drogba and Ashley Cole all stood down, with Joe Cole getting another run-out, while teenager Kakuta - at the centre of the row that saw a transfer ban imposed on the Stamford Bridge club - was on the bench.
Blackburn, again without manager Sam Allardyce on the sidelines due to his recent heart surgery, made five changes from the side that drew at home with Stoke last time out. But their alterations were primarily enforced, with Keith Andrews and David Dunn injured, while Franco Di Santo - on loan from Chelsea - was ineligible.
Although Chelsea started well, with Deco prompting from midfield, a determined Rovers found themselves ahead after only eight minutes.
Seconds earlier Kalinic had shot wide after taking a return pass from Jason Roberts. But his next opportunity was far more successful. Morten Gamst Pedersen and Pascal Chimbonda combined well down the left and, when the full back's low cross arrowed into the six-yard box, Kalinic finished in style.
Emerton flashed a 20-yarder wide as Rovers kept coming forward and the nearest Chelsea got in the opening exchanges was a diving header from Kalou, following Ferreira's cross, that skidded wide of the far post.
Chelsea's response took a long time to get up any steam, with Cole shooting wide and then Ballack crashing a volley into the side-netting from Malouda's right-wing cross.
But it was Blackburn who continued to look dangerous, and Chris Samba saw a header pulled down by Hilario, the keeper being clattered to the ground by the big defender for his troubles.
The hosts could see their opportunity against a weakened side, with Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti only having Drogba from his front-line troops on the bench.
Ancelotti could hardly have been impressed with Chelsea's first-half efforts and he made three substitutions for the second period. Not surprisingly, on came Drogba as well as Kakuta and Jeffery Bruma, with Cole, Juliano Belletti and Deco making way.
And Chelsea were level within two minutes of the restart. Malouda's cross came in from the left and Drogba rose above Ryan Nelsen to head powerfully past Robinson.
It did not take Chelsea long to go in front, with Blackburn punished for some dreadful defending. Zhirkov found all the time in the world to send Kalou racing into Blackburn's half, without a defender within 20 yards of him, and the striker coolly rolled his shot wide of Robinson after 52 minutes.
Rovers sent on Grella for Pedersen after 61 minutes and were level three minutes later. Emerton's swirling cross came in from the right and, although Kalinic went for it and claimed the goal, the ball looked to sail straight in and past a bemused Hilario.
Roberts was replaced by youngster Hoilett with 20 minutes left. But Chelsea were left with only ten men for the last 19 minutes, having used all their substitutes at the break, when Kalou limped away with a groin injury.
Elrio Van Heerden replaced Steven Nzonzi at the start of the extra half-hour, and Rovers were ahead a minute later. Zhirkov brought down the nippy Hoilett and McCarthy rammed home the penalty.
But, in the second minute of injury-time at the end of 120 minutes, Chelsea were level when Ferreira lashed home after Robinson had fumbled a Malouda free-kick to send the game to penalties.
Ancelotti defended his decision to field a weakened side at Blackburn in the Carling Cup quarter-final, and then to use all three substitutes at half-time. A string of debatable decisions by Ancelotti contributed to Chelsea's demise, including using all three substitutions before injury reduced them to 10 men for almost 50 minutes of the match.
He even chose French teenager Gael Kakuta to take the crucial pressure penalty in the shoot-out, which was saved by Paul Robinson to send Rovers through. Kakuta is the former Lens youngster whose move to Stamford Bridge has seen Chelsea fined and banned from transfer by FIFA, with an appeal pending.
Ancelotti, who rested seven top players including John Terry and Frank Lampard, said: "We had priorities this week with league games against Arsenal and Manchester City. I felt we fielded a strong team. But in the first half they did not play well. That is why I used all three substitutes, it is not something I usually do.
"Then we were unlucky to have Salomon Kalou injured in the second half, and that meant we were left with 10 men. It was just unfortunate, but we still played well with 10 against 11.
"As for using Kakuta for that last penalty, it was my decision. I have seen him take good penalties during training, and I felt he could handle it.''
Blackburn assistant boss Neil McDonald, standing in for Sam Allardyce following the Ewood Park manager's heart surgery, was critical of Ancelotti's decisions.
He said: "I hope they regret making so many changes and not fielding a stronger team. Maybe they should have looked at our home record and realised that we are a decent side here.
"They should have played a stronger side. But I have to praise Paul Robinson for his shoot-out save after making a mistake to give them their equaliser.
"I have spoken to Sam and he is very pleased. He just told us to enjoy the moment and to get ourselves ready for Liverpool on Saturday.''
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