HALF-TIME: Blackburn Rovers 1, Bristol City 0
City arrived at Ewood Park on the back of revitalising home wins over Ipswich and Watford seeking to put together a three-match unbeaten run for the first time this season.
O'Driscoll made one change from the side that beat Watford in midweek, promoting Marvin Elliott to the starting line-up to replace the injured Cole Skuse in the centre of midfield.
Their confidence restored, City certainly made a better start than when losing to Blackburn in the FA Cup last month, pressing the home side back during the opening exchanges. That pressure nearly resulted in a goal after eight minutes, Steven Davies sending a powerfully-struck free kick inches over Jake Kean's cross bar after Liam Kelly had been fouled by Colin Kazim-Richards.
Blackburn responded with a dangerous free kick of their own, Morten Gamst Pedersen grazing the bar with a curling left-footed effort from 25 yards out that had Robins keeper Tom Heaton clawing at thin air.
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City produced the most fluent attacking move of the game in the 24th minute, Paul Anderson driving at the heart of the Rovers defence, exchanging passes with Stephen Pearson and lifting his shot high with only Kean to beat.
He no doubt regretted that missed opportunity when Blackburn went ahead four minutes later. A corner was only half cleared by the visiting defence, Pedersen swung the ball back into the mix and Jordan Rhodes demonstrated lightning-quick reactions to turn and shoot in one fluid movement, his shot flying beyond Heaton's despairing dive and finding the corner of the net.
There were more problems for City when skipper Louis Carey went down under pressure from Markus Olsson and required lengthy treatment from the physio. He got to his feet eventually, but was clearly unable to continue and was replaced by James Wilson two minutes before half time.
City came close to snatching an equaliser in time added on, Perarson and Baldock combining to set-up Davies, whose first-time shot flashed inches wide of the target.
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