In a game which saw minimal goalmouth action, Rovers were able to keep their unbeaten start to the season going, by walking away from the game with all 3 points, following a 1-0 win over early playoff hopefuls, Brentford.
Although Rovers were plagued with injury problems mainly, in the attacking areas, which saw the likes of Adam Armstrong, Dominic Samuel and Bradley Dack all miss out, Tony Mowbray, in his pre-match interview had urged his side to continue the fine work that they had been doing, even though the attacking areas were beginning to look depleted, and judging by the result, the absentees didn’t seem to have affected the players.
As hinted upon, the squad picked to face Dean Smith’s side, did not feature Armstrong, Samuel or Dack, as Tony Mowbray made 2 changes to the starting 11 that had salvaged a point against Reading, on Wednesday. Joe Nuttall came in for the injured Armstrong, whilst Kasey Palmer, himself returning from a knock, replaced Danny Graham in the side, as the 33-year old found himself on the bench.
Despite the hype behind Brentford pre-game, by many pundits from various media outlets, Dean Smith’s side came into the encounter without their talisman, Neal Maupay, who had scored 5 goals in their first 4 games, after the Frenchman had picked up a 3-match ban for violent conduct, following Brentford’s last game against Aston Villa.
With both sides readying themselves for the start of the game, it was Rovers who kicked-off the encounter, through Elliott Bennett, as the Blues were looking for their first win on home soil, in an attempt to continue their unbeaten start to the campaign.
As both sides were without their respective talismen – Dack for Rovers and Maupay for Brentford – the first 10 minutes of the tie saw the game fizzle out into a repetitive battle for possession, as both sides failed to create a shot on goal as the game, despite only being in it’s infancy, looked set to end as a stalemate.
On the 13th minute, a view of a potential stalemate looked to have been dashed, as Marcus Forss found himself through on goal, after a long-ball forward wasn’t dealt with by Rovers’ backline. Forss, despite having more time than he thought, decided to hit a first-time effort from outside the box, which ultimately didn’t trouble Rovers’ shot-stopper, David Raya, as the ball tricked into his gloves.
From then on, Rovers changed their mentality towards the game, as they began to put in ferocious, but well timed, tackles which saw the crowd get behind their players, as they tried to encourage them forward, and ‘suck the ball into the back of the net’, as Tony Mowbray would say.
With the crowd behind them, Rovers made their first foray forwards which saw them earn a corner. Rothwell’s corner was only cleared as far as Elliott Bennett, who did well to turn and find the former Oxford man on the wing. Rothwell, after collecting the ball, used his pace and power to cut inside and create a shooting angle from just inside the area, before releasing a shot a goal, which, as a result of a deflection, looked destined to trickle into the far corner, but luckily for the away side, the deflection added enough spin on the ball, to see it roll wide of the post for another corner, which was subsequently cleared.
On the 32nd minute, Brentford created their second chance of the game, which nearly saw them take the lead. Denmark international Henrik Dalsgaard picked up the ball on the right-hand side and delivered a cross into the box which was met by the head of Saïd Benrahma, whose attempt at goal crashed off the crossbar and into the path of Corry Evans, who cleared.
From the counter-attack, Rovers earnt themselves a free-kick which Mulgrew delivered into the box. The captain’s ball was met by Joe Nuttall, whose header, unlike Benrahma’s, ended up in the hands of ‘keeper, Daniel Bentley.
With 35 minutes on the clock, Bentley sent a long goal-kick downfield, which was flicked on by Dalsgaard, into the path of the 2016-17 EFL Young Player of the Year, Ollie Watkins. The former Exeter man then took a touch, before cutting inside and releasing a venomous shot, which nearly broke one of the seats in the Blackburn End, behind the goal.
Although there was 1 minute of time added onto the end of the half, that made little difference, as Watkins provided the final chance of the half, 10 minutes before it ended, as Tony Harrington called an end to an underwhelming 45 minutes of football.
As both sides entered their respective dressing rooms, both managers would, not doubt, have had contrasting views to what they had seen during the opening 45 minutes of the tie. The visiting boss, Dean Smith, would have been frustrated that his side were unable to break down a weary Rovers side, and despite them having the best chances of the half, they were not able to make them pay, despite the absence of their star man, Maupay.
Tony Mowbray, in contrast, would have been relatively pleased with his sides’ defensive efforts, as they managed to keep one of the most prolific sides in the division, out of their net for the first-half. What he would have been annoyed about however, was his sides’ lack of attacking threat, with only 1 real chance to their name.
As both teams returned for the second-half, it was the away side who restarted the game, as they looked to build on their relatively positive first-half performance, in the hope of finding the one goal that would, no doubt, settle the tie.
With the second-half only 8 minutes old, former Arsenal midfielder, Nico Yennaris added another attempt at goal on the match facts, as he tested David Raya from close-range, on the 53rd minute. Romaine Sawyers did well to collect the ball on the wing, and find Yennaris, who had made the run from deep. The 25-year old then hit a first-time shot, which caused David Raya to pull off a sensational save, as the ‘keeper did well to stretch to his maximum, before tipping the ball over the bar, as the pressure was then relieved, as Rovers were given a free-kick.
From the free-kick, on the 54th minute, Rovers managed to get down the other end of the field, and break the deadlock, against the run of play, courtesy of Chelsea loanee, Kasey Palmer. Despite a potential foul on Marcus Forss, which saw Richie Smallwood stop and check on the Finnish youth prospect, despite the referee’s indication to play on, Rovers continued the move, as Rothwell picked out Elliott Bennett with a sublime, cross-field ball, which saw the number 31 move into a crossing area. With very little to aim at, Bennett tried a low cross, which Daniel Bentley could only parry, which allowed Kasey Palmer, who was running in from deep, to side-foot the ball into the back of the net, first-time, in order to put Rovers 1-0 ahead.
2 minutes after the goal, Brentford re-grouped and managed to create an opportunity at goal through Benrahma, which David Raya was again equal to. The Algerian international picked up the ball from around 25-30 yards out, before releasing a dipping shot which had Raya scrambling. Thankfully, however, the Spaniard was alert enough to tip the ball over the bar, for a Brentford corner, which came to nothing.
Following the corner, both sides rung in the changes over the next 15 minutes, as the chances fizzled out. The hosts brought on Danny Graham, Craig Conway and Lewis Travis, for Joe Nuttall, Kasey Palmer and Corry Evans, respectively, whilst Brentford swapped Marcus Forss and Saïd Benrahma, for former Rover Alan Judge and Sergi Canós.
Once the substitutions had all passed, Brentford were the next side to register an attempt at goal, as Sawyers and Watkins combined well to create a shooting opportunity. The former squared the ball to the latter, who tried his luck, but his effort was dragged wide of the mark, as Rovers earnt themselves a goal-kick.
That pass proved to be Sawyers’ final action of the game, as he was withdrawn and replaced by Lewis MacLeod, who, by the 90th minute, was on a yellow card following a poor challenge on Joe Rothwell.
With both the game, and the chances winding down, referee Tony Harrington added on an extra 5 minutes, which saw the Rovers fans hold their breath, as after Elliott Bennett was deservedly named the club sponsor’s man of the match, Brentford had a chance, through the booked MacLeod, to tie up the game late on. A mix-up between Ryan Nyambe and Darragh Lenihan saw MacLeod take control of the ball and fire a shot from the outside the box, which had the Ewood Park stands gasping. Luckily for them however, the former Rangers man’s effort hit the advertising hoardings, rather than the back of the net, as Mr. Harrington called time on a tedious game.
This game, from a Rovers perspective, shows that the team, despite being hampered with injuries in the attacking areas of the field, are still capable of creating and scoring chances, against some of the best sides in this division. One major positive which can be taken from this game, is the organisation of the defence, in which credit has to be given, not only to the players, but to Mowbray and his staff, as well. Although Brentford were missing their key goalscorer, they created more than enough chances to potentially deflate Rovers and take an easy win, but credit where it’s due to the defence and Raya, as they stood firm to deny the Bees, the continuation of their unbeaten run. Although the game was not one for the neutrals, it is placed highly in terms of Rovers performances this season, as the players showed the work-rate, passion and desire the manager and the fans have been calling out for, despite the depleted line-up.
With this win continuing Rovers’ unbeaten start to the season, Mowbray’s men find themselves in an impressive 5th place on 9 points from 5 games played, with a +2-goal difference, behind the likes of Leeds United, Middlesbrough, Bolton Wanderers and Aston Villa, a position, which both club personnel and fans will be hoping Rovers can remain in, as the season progresses.
Rovers now turn their attentions to the Carabao Cup 2nd round, as they prepare to host Lincoln City on Tuesday night, for a 7:45pm kick-off. Once that game as been played, Mowbray’s men then travel to Bristol City, where they will play Lee Johnson’s men at the earlier 1:30pm kick-off, on Sunday, 2nd September, as a result of the Bristol Bears Rugby team playing at Ashton Gate on Friday 31st August. Following on from that clash, Rovers return to Ewood Park, following the first international break of the season, as they prepare to host Steve Bruce’s Aston Villa side, on Saturday, 15th September, with a 5:30pm kick-off scheduled on the cards.
