Rovers finally ended their disappointing post-January run of 7 games without a win, with a resounding and long awaited 3-0 victory over a lowly Wigan Athletic side, whose disastrous away form of 1 win in 19 games continued, as the Latics continued their plight towards the relegation zone.
With the Blues only securing 1 point from the 21 available in their last 7 games, Tony Mowbray made a trio of changes ahead of the visit of the reigning Sky Bet League 1 Champions, to Ewood Park. The first couple of alterations saw Amari’i Bell and Lewis Travis both come in for Corry Evans and Richie Smallwood respectively, whilst the final introduction to the side saw the injured skipper Charlie Mulgrew make way for academy graduate and soon-to-be debutant Tyler Magloire, who was deployed in the centre of a back 3, alongside Ryan Nyambe and Derrick Williams, the latter of which was making his 100th league start for the club.
With 1,126 Latics fans making the short midweek journey over during the wet and windy Lancashire evening, it was their side who began proceedings from kick-off, as they looked to continue their rivalry with the home side, by securing their first ever double over the Ewood Park outfit.
It didn’t fall into plan for Wigan from the off, as Bradley Dack began the game lively by beating a couple of defenders, before putting in a cross which flashed across the face of goal.
After 7 minutes had flown by, Nick Powell had the chance to grab the opener by replicating his goal from the 2016-17 meeting between the sides at the DW Stadium, which came from a free-kick. Although the former Manchester United man tried to dip the ball over the wall, the power of the strike and the wind got the better of his effort, as the ball zipped over the bar.
4 minutes after Powell’s attempt, Amari’i Bell combined with Harrison Reed to give the latter a crack at trying to break the deadlock. Although the run by Bell was good, the strike by Reed was less so, as Wigan were awarded a goal-kick after the on-loan Southampton man’s attempt ballooned over the bar.
Wigan entered a period of pressure on the 12th minute as Lee Evans saw his cross claimed by Rovers’ shot-stopper, David Raya.
On-loan Chelsea defender Reece James soon released a cross which the debuting Tyler Magloire dealt with well, despite being unable to prevent Wigan earning a corner. From the corner, however, Rovers’ nerves were settled as Evans’ corner fell to the head of Blackburn-born, Joe Garner, who’s nod towards goal flew over Raya’s crossbar.
With 17 minutes gone, Adam Armstrong and Dack combined well for the latter to try and score his first goal since the 5-2 defeat at Brentford. Armstrong picked up the ball on the edge of the area, after receiving Danny Graham’s knockdown, and played a first-time ball into the path of Dack who beat the offside trap and released a chipped effort on goal. Unfortunately for the former Gillingham man, his dink lacked the real power to get over Wigan’s 6’2” ‘keeper in Jamie Jones.
The same trio once again combined for another Dack attempt on the 21st minute, however this effort, was much further than the previous one, as it flew over the bar.
On the 26th minute, disaster struck for Rovers, as Amari’i Bell was forced off with an injury, which forced the Blues, who were without any defenders on the bench, to bring on Craig Conway and utilise him in the vacated left-wing-back role.
After half-an-hour, Magloire displayed his defensive talents twice in as many minutes as he did well to dispossess Gavin Massey before starting a Rovers attack which was soon snuffed out. Whilst his second piece of defending saw him outmuscle Michael Jacobs and release the pressure off Rovers’ back 5.
On the 37th minute, Magloire was again in combat as he put his body on the line to deflect a long-ranging Joe Garner effort from outside the box, away from goal and out for a throw-in.
Less than 60 seconds later, Rovers went up the other end and were awarded a penalty, by referee Chris Kavanagh, following a recycled corner, after Reece James hacked down Harrison Reed in the area. It was Danny Graham who made no mistake from the spot, as he powered his strike into the top right-hand corner of the net to earn his 50th goal in Rovers colours and open the scoring at 1-0.
On the 42nd minute, both Chey Dunkley and Jonas Olsson were booked for dissent after the visitors were denied a penalty.
A couple of minutes later, Graham capitalised on some hesitant defending, to latch on a loose ball which allowed him to round the Wigan ‘keeper and try his luck at goal. Unfortunately for the forward, his touch took him too wide, as his recycled ball back into the mix was eventually cleared, following a wide Rovers free-kick, which incidentally saw Craig Conway go into the book for a late challenge on the counter-attacking Massey.
After 2 minutes of time were allocated onto the end of the half, referee Chris Kavanagh soon called the first period to a close.
As the players got out of the seemingly sub-zero temperature and into the warm of their dressing rooms, they would have been greeted with mixed reactions, depending on which side of the tunnel corridor they were stationed.
The Rovers side of the corridor would have had an air of hesitancy about it, with both, the players and staff wary of what their opposition were capable of doing, when going forwards. Tony Mowbray would have been emphasising the need for a second goal, in order to offer his side, the cushion they have very much lacked in recent weeks, if the seemingly inevitable situation of conceding a goal was to arise. That being said however, the boss would have been praising the makeshift backline, with debutant Tyler Magloire being target of some individual praise, following a sound first 45 minutes in senior football.
Wigan’s side of the corridor, in contrast, would consisted of Paul Cook trying to encourage his players, whilst not holding back in his criticism of their dreary opening 45 minutes. Despite beating Rovers back at the DW Stadium in November, Cook’s side’s away form, which was the worst in the league, showed no signs of picking up, both due to the lacklustre performance and due to the deficit in the scoreline.
Rovers soon got the second-half underway, but not before Wigan made their first alteration of the game, which saw Gavin Massey depart and Callum McManaman replace him.
Reed had a 47th minute free-kick to deliver into the area, but despite connecting with it well, Derrick Williams saw his header towards goal easily smothered by Jones.
McManaman soon impacted the game on the 48th minute, as he used his speed to get beyond Conway and put in an inviting ball for Nick Powell, who duly answered the cross’s calls, with a header. Although the move was well worked, Powell’s eventual header landed the wrong side of Raya’s upright, as jeers in Powell’s direction rang around Ewood Park.
A similar situation arose on 4 minutes later, when Joe Garner tried his luck, but he soon suffered the same fate as Powell, as his header flew wide.
1-0 soon became 2-0 on the 54th minute as David Raya notched himself an unusual assist for Danny Graham’s 51st Rovers goal and his second of the night. A long and high punt forwards by Raya, from his hands, saw Dunkley mistime his lunge for the ball, as Graham used his experience to position himself in a more advantageous position to Olsson, which allowed the forward to speed beyond the former West Bromwich Albion centre-back. As the ball bounced past Dunkley, Graham latched onto Raya’s kick forwards before taking a touch to control the ball and then dinking it over the sprawled Wigan ‘keeper to double Rovers’ lead to 2-0.
On the hour mark, Lee Evans saw his strike from 25-yards out veer wide of Raya’s goal.
Soon after that, Wigan made their second change of the evening, as Josh Windass was introduced to the fray, as Michael Jacobs departed.
Magloire again was on hand to block the fresh substitute, Windass’ effort, on the 63rd minute.
Following that block, Rovers made their final couple of changes at the same time, as Danny Graham and Adam Armstrong departed, with Joe Nuttall and Joe Rothwell, respectively replacing them.
On the 70th minute, Rovers saw Reed’s strike deflect up into the air and land to Nuttall, whose header was deflected behind for a corner. From the set-piece, Derrick Williams had another chance to mark his 100th league appearance for the club with a goal but saw his effort flash wide of the target.
Williams was soon involved again on the 71st minute, when he was pushed by Evans, prior to the 24-year old sticking the ball into the back of the Rovers net, which led to Rovers earning a free-kick and Wigan’s celebrations being cut short.
Dack soon fired over, a few minutes later, after sublime piece of Rovers build-up play landed at the feet of the attacker, but he wasn’t able to keep both his composure, and the shot down.
Garner was soon booked for dissent on the 78th minute.
Seconds after Garner’s booking, Conway nearly set up Dack for his 12th league goal of the season, but the Wigan ‘keeper Jamie Jones was alert enough to deny the number 23’s header.
Dack soon had another attempt a minute later, after his skill saw him get away from a defender, but his subsequent shot was saved and then spilled by Jones, before he was able to claim Rothwell’s rebound.
Derrick Williams was soon booked for a foul on Powell on halfway.
That tackle seemed to have caused Powell’s some issues as he was hooked moments later and replaced by Leon Clarke, in Wigan’s final change of the night.
On the 82nd minute, Dack and Nuttall combined as the former fed the latter. Dack’s surging run forwards created space for Nuttall ahead of him, who Dack found with a simple pass. Although the angle to the far corner was covered by Dunkley, Nuttall managed to release a shot, but unfortunately for him, it was tame and rolled straight into Jones’ gloves.
With 86 minutes of the clock, Reece James soon entered the book as he hacked down Joe Rothwelll on halfway.
It didn’t take long for the contest to formally be put to bed, as Bradley Dack broke his 6-game duck of goals in the most bizarre circumstances. Rovers’ pressure from the front, led by Dack, saw Jonas Olsson pass back to his ‘keeper without looking, which led to Jones missing the ball and allowing Dack to slide the ball home, into the empty net to make it 3-0, which rounded off a sound night for Rovers.
The final booking of the game came to Joe Rothwell on the 89th minute.
After the club sponsor’s Man of the Match, which was Danny Graham, was announced, the referee called for 3 added minutes to be played before calling an end to a game which Rovers, despite not being at their maximum, were able to emerge from with maximum points, which was a welcoming change to the recent run of defeats.
Despite receiving heavy criticism in recent weeks, Rovers showed glimpses of their early season performances in this game, which gave them, and the fans, the confidence to push on and get over the line. Although the scoring started from the spot, Rovers never really looked to have been threatened by the visitors, up until the penalty saw Rovers go ahead.
Whilst against Preston North End on Saturday, there was a plethora of critiquing regarding Rovers’ ability to finish, including from the manager himself, the players on the field – who although weren’t 100% clinical – managed to finish off the chances that truly mattered, which were – in essence – handed to them on a plate by the visiting team. Whilst the performance was nowhere near ‘vintage’ the ability to grind out a result and earn a clean sheet against a tough opponent and one Rovers know well, will surely be a confidence booster for the players, despite the fact Wigan have the worst away record in the division.
A special mention has to be made for the debuting centre-half, Tyler Magloire, who looked as if he’d been a part of the backline since August. Whilst he used his pace and strength effectively and was able to read the game well, up against a tough, physical forward in Joe Garner, his rawness was there to be seen, as were his glaring areas of improvement, such as his aerial ability. Despite that, however, the near-perfect debut for the 20-year old – barring the scoring of a goal, of course – will no doubt resonate long in the minds of himself, his manager and the supporters, who may have been witnessing the start of what will hopefully be a successful career. Furthermore, the almost comedic makeshift back 5, which included Craig Conway for a large portion, showed their defensive prowess in being able to snuff out potential danger and earn a much desired clean sheet, without the guidance and experience of a Charlie Mulgrew, or a Darragh Lenihan, was impressive, considering 4 out of the 6 players who played in the backline (including Craig Conway to make it 6) were not in their natural positions; (Ryan Nyambe and Derrick Williams at centre-back and Elliott Bennett and Craig Conway as wing-backs).
In a final point to add, the whole team showed their effort, desire and determination to try and break out of their poor run. From David Raya at one end, to Danny Graham at the other, every player who entered the field in-game, proved their ability was better than the recent downward spiral would have suggested to the outsider. From now on, it is up to them to continue displaying their talents in order to end the season off in a mood of confidence which they can take into next season.
Following their first win in 7, Rovers have now moved up to 16th place with 47 points from their 37 games played, which includes a -6-goal difference.
The next round of fixtures sees an international break cemented in-between. Next Saturday, on the 16th March, Rovers travel to Hillsborough to take on Sheffield Wednesday at 3pm, before the international break of a fortnight, kicks in. Once everyone returns, Saturday, 30th March, sees the Blues again on the road, this time to Villa Park where they face Dean Smith’s Aston Villa at 3pm. Following that affair, they return home to Ewood Park to host Stoke City on Saturday, 6th April at 3pm, in the hope of earning their first league double over the Potters since the 1989-90 season, in the old Second Division.
