City have now lost two games in a week, three this season and 12 of their last 15 overall, and the signs are appearing ominous for manager Stuart Pearce.

In truth, City should have been out of sight by half-time, only to waste a catalogue of chances before finally being undone by second-half goals from Benni McCarthy and substitute Paul Gallagher.

It is fair to say Rovers were fortunate to head into the dressing room at the interval on the back of a 2-2 scoreline. For all the world it appeared as if the Rovers backline were still in Salzburg following Thursday’s UEFA Cup clash.

To describe their wretched display as ‘a hangover’ does not do it justice, although City were just as guilty in failing to take the opportunities handed to them on a plate.

In the opening 15 minutes in particular, there were four, with the first arriving after just 40 seconds when Brett Emerton failed to cut out a through ball.

That allowed Trevor Sinclair to deliver a low 20-yard curler that was bound for the bottom left-hand corner, only for Brad Friedel to superbly tip the ball away with his left hand.

There followed a second clear opportunity for the visitors in the seventh minute, with Paul Dickov given yards of space on the edge of the area after being played in by Hatem Trabelsi, starting for the first time following his summer move from Ajax.

But former Rovers old-boy Dickov, who also joined City in the closed season after his Blackburn contract expired, fired a right-foot drive on the turn beyond the left-hand upright.

Tunisia international Trabelsi was then a yard wide of the right -hand post with a low, curled left-foot shot from 18 yards before helping to set up Joey Barton in the 15th minute.

But from a wide-open position on the penalty spot, the midfielder sidefooted over to his own dismay.

Crucially, City’s profligacy cost them dear because two minutes later and totally against the run of play Blackburn took the lead.

After City skipper Richard Dunne had clattered into David Bentley, Morten Gamst Pedersen’s 25-yard free-kick was deflected past Nicky Weaver off the head of Sinclair.

Rovers captain Lucas Neill then headed off the line a free-kick from Barton, before City lost the influential Trabelsi to a groin injury, with another debutant in DaMarcus Beasley his replacement.

Yet that did not stop the chances from flowing, with Barton again proving wasteful eight minutes from the break with only Friedel to beat.

Finally, and two minutes later, Barton gained his just reward. Set up by Bernardo Corradi and Dickov, and faced with a one-on-one situation again with Friedel, Barton beat the Rovers number one to his left with a low curled shot.

Rovers’ reply was instant, and this time there was no doubt about Pedersen’s free-kick following a Beasley foul on Bentley, with the left-foot inswinger taking one bounce past a deceived Weaver.

However, it took just 70 seconds for City to level, with a Corradi cross along the six-yard area turned home by Andre Ooijer who was too busy appealing for offside.

The flood of goals at the end of the first period was replaced by a swathe of cards at the start of the second period, with referee Martin Atkinson suddenly becoming the busiest man on the pitch.

Dietmar Hamann marked his debut with a caution for a scything foul on Pedersen, and he was followed into the book by Micah Richards, McCarthy and half-time substitute Shabani Nonda.

It was a piece of quick thinking from Nonda, the on-loan striker from Roma, that gave Blackburn the lead for the third time, in the 66th minute.

His smartly-taken throw found Pedersen, and with the City defence this time in no-man’s land, a square ball picked out McCarthy.

The South Africa international then proceeded to sidefoot home from five yards for his third goal in six matches following his £2.5m (€3.71m) summer move from Porto.

After Richards missed a sitter of a header from four yards in the 83rd minute with what was City’s best chance of the second half, McCarthy then made way for Gallagher soon after.

It was Gallagher who then wrapped up the points 90 seconds from time with a sidefoot finish from 12 yards after being teed up by Emerton for his first Rovers goal since November 27, 2004.