Just prior to today’s report, everyone at ReadRovers would like to wholeheartedly thank the NHS for the incredible work and strength they have shown and are continuing to show on the frontline during these difficult circumstances.
We would also like to send our deepest condolences to those who have lost loved ones during this time.
Finally, we also strongly support the ‘Black Lives Matter’ campaign. Hopefully we, as a fanbase, a town and a club, can help towards stamping out racism in all walks of life.
We also hope you’re all safe, healthy and enjoyed today’s game as much as we did!
#COYB!
Rovers returned to winning ways at an eerily empty Ewood Park, 104-days after their last game due to the COVID-19 suspension, as they came from behind to do the double over Bristol City for the first time since the 2012-13 season.
The team that were tasked with Rovers’ first league game since the lockdown – excluding the 6-0 ‘friendly’ defeat to Liverpool, away at Anfield – saw four changes to the side that started the 3-0 loss away at Derby County, back in March. Darragh Lenihan, Joe Rankin-Costello, Corry Evans and Lewis Holtby all came in for Ryan Nyambe, Amari’i Bell, Joe Rothwell and Adam Armstrong, with the former pair out injured, whilst the latter duo made up Rovers’ nine-man bench. With the bench being extended to nine men duo to five substitutes being allowed, given the circumstance, opportunities were given the matchday squad to Hayden Carter and Jacob Davenport, who have rarely featured for the Blues this term.
Given Tony Mowbray had rung in the changes, Rovers lined up with Christian Walton in goal, skipper Elliott Bennett – who was making his 150th Rovers appearance – at right-back whilst Joe Rankin-Costello took up an unfamiliar left-back role. The pair flanked the central defensive partnership of Darragh Lenihan and Tosin Adarabioyo. The midfield saw the returning Corry Evans partner Lewises Travis and Holtby and Stewart Downing who chalked up his 700th career appearance, whilst the attacking duo of Ben Brereton and Sam Gallagher led the line in what was a fluid formation for Rovers.
Just prior to kick-off, as with the other fixtures around Britain, a minute’s applause was taken to give thanks to the outstanding NHS heroes who risked their lives on the frontline during the height of Britain’s fight against COVID-19. Additionally, the applause was marked to pay respect to those who lost their lives to the disease, as well as to pay tribute to former Rovers players Jim Fryatt and Peter Whittingham, who sadly lost their lives during the season’s pause.
Additionally, all respective players and staff from both clubs, and officials ‘took the knee’ just prior to the start, in powerful support of the very important ‘Black Lives Matter’ campaign.
As the game began, the tempo the match took began to slowly build itself, as Rovers tried to use the ‘fake’ crowd noise to their advantage during the opening stages.
It only took 11 minutes for the first booking of the game to appear as referee Oliver Langford booked Benfica loanee Pedro Pereira following a robust challenge on Ben Brereton.
Three minutes later, the clattered Brereton burst into life down the left-wing as he cut inside and managed to pick out a cross-field ball into the stride of Elliott Bennett. The skipper, who creeped towards the edge of the area, hit a low drive that tested Daniel Bentley, but ultimately failed to trouble the former Brentford ‘keeper.
Han-Noah Massengo became the next player to see his name taken by Mr. Langford as he illegally hauled infringed upon Sam Gallagher after 15 minutes were played.
The 24th minute saw a first at Ewood Park, as the first ever drinks break was called for, around midway through the first-half. Although the initiative was brought in, once per-half, to help with preventing potential injuries and aid given the current circumstances, it seems rather redundant during the first-half of games. Regardless, play resumed two minutes later, on the 26th minute.
It seemed as if the mini-break had benefitted Bristol from a hydration and tactical perspective after their mini-team meeting with manager Lee Johnson seemingly paid off after they took the lead, a few minutes later, on the 34th minute. The away captain Korey Smith played a one-two with Bentley just behind the halfway line, as the midfielder pivoted before pinging a long, direct ball down the left-flank into the path of Famara Diédhiou. The Senegalese international did well to bring the ball under his control before teeing up Tommy Rowe for a pinpoint cross into the box. Whilst that was occurring, City forward Jamie Paterson tiptoed into the penalty area and took up a position between both Rovers centre-halves. Rowe’s cross landed exactly onto Paterson’s head whose subsequent header was feebly fumbled by Rovers’ on-loan stopper Christian Walton, as the away team – who have picked up more points on the road (29/60) than they have at home (26/54) – took, what seemed to be an undeserving lead given the balance of play prior to the goal.
It took only three minutes for Rovers to bounce back and score their first goal since the restart, which in true Rovers fashion, came in the most bizarre circumstance. Some good build-up play by Rovers saw the ball swept out to Joe Rankin-Costello who had bombed forward down the left-flank. The youngster cut inside before laying the ball off to Stewart Downing who teed the ball up for Corry Evans to provide an in-swinging cross. The Northern Irish international, who was playing his first game since the 1-1 draw at home to Preston North End, where he was stretchered off and ruled out with a fractured skull and shattered eye socket, managed to grab his first league goal since 29th November 2015’s 2-2 home draw against Sheffield Wednesday under Paul Lambert, to level the scoring. The midfielder tried to swing in an inviting in-swinging cross towards Sam Gallagher, but saw it go all the way, as Bentley and his defenders lacked the communication required, as Evans’ effort went all the way in to tie the sides back level at 1-1.
The action towards the end of the first-half then petered out as both sides did well to cancel the other out, as after three minutes of time was added, Oliver Langford called for the break.
Half-time would have come at a frustrating time for Tony Mowbray’s men, as their tails had picked up after the equaliser from Corry Evans. The home side, whose last game on Ewood soil was the dramatic 2-2 draw with Swansea City, would have been hoping to ramp up their pressure following the equaliser, but had struggled to take the bull by the horns, despite their possessional dominance.
Lee Johnson, in the away dressing room, would have had equally mixed feelings at the break. The Robins manager would have been pleased with the way his side had played, given they had opened the scoring, but also disappointed that they’d conceded, from their perspective, such a soft and avoidable goal. The former Barnsley boss would have been able to take some confidence from his side’s away form going into the second-half, despite the unorthodox circumstances of the game.
The second-half restarted, but not before City made two out of their five changes, as Nakhi Wells and Jack Hunt came on to replace the booked pair of Han-Noah Massengo and Pedro Pereira.
The 49th minute saw Rovers miss a gilt-edged chance through Ben Brereton, who did all the hard work, but stumbled at the finish. Former Chelsea defender Tomáš Kalas got his back-pass to Bentley all wrong as Brereton managed to latch on and intercept the short ball. The young forward did brilliantly to keep his composure and ease past the on-rushing Bentley, but unfortunately lost his footing at the vital moment, as he slipped in-front of an empty net, allowed time for Bristol to retreat and clear the ball behind for a Rovers corner.
The 50th minute saw Rovers denied the lead after an incredibly soft foul was given against Rankin-Costello. A corner from the right-hand side was played short to Lewis Holtby by Stewart Downing, allowing the German to whip a ball into the box. The cross was then fumbled by Bentley, into the path of Rankin-Costello who netted from inside the penalty area with ease, yet referee Oliver Langford strangely ruled the goal out for a foul on the ‘keeper, who in retrospect, had collided with his own player.
Four minutes later, Downing was at the heart of things again as he won possession back in the middle of the park before storming down the left-flank and delivering an inviting cross into the box. The ball was aimed at Sam Gallagher whose leap was mistimed as his header floated over the bar.
The 56th minute saw Darragh Lenihan pick up his 11th yellow card of the season after he needlessly fouled Diédhiou on the left-wing.
Things were about to pick up for the Irish international defender, as five minutes later, he provided the assist for the goal that put Rovers ahead for the first time in the game. A free-kick, midway into the Bristol City half was floated in by Stewart Downing. The away defence failed to clear the ball as it dropped to Rankin-Costello, who did brilliantly to control it with his chest and lay it off to Sam Gallagher who was surrounded by defenders. The forward somehow tiptoed through the defending legs before the ball broke free to Lenihan, who laid the ball off for an unmarked Tosin Adarabioyo, who was at the top of the Bristol box. The on-loan central defender had the composure and the technique to stop the ball dead, before curling the ball into the top right-hand corner of the goal, via the palms of Daniel Bentley, to put Rovers ahead at 2-1, on the 61st minute.
The 64th minute – moments prior the second drinks break of the game – saw Rovers make three of their five changes as the front trio of Danny Graham, Adam Armstrong and Dominic Samuel – all desperately in need of a haircut – entered the fray as they replaced Lewis Holtby, Ben Brereton and Sam Gallagher – all of whom, hilariously, were also requiring a trim.
The fresh legs of the substitutes were shown immediately, but it was Lewis Travis – fresh off the drinks break – who set the tempo for the 68th minute move as his press won possession back for Rovers in the final third. He did well to find Graham, who slotted Armstrong through with a chance to hit a trademark curler into the top-right hand corner, yet the Geordie’s radar was a bit miscued as his first-time effort ended up in the Blackburn End.
It was second-time lucky for the ‘Angel of the North’, however, as Rovers capitalised on some wayward passing by Bristol to seal a third, on the counter, allowing Armstrong to secure his 12th league goal of this seemingly never-ending campaign. A poorly executed cross-field ball by Jamie Paterson to Jack Hunt, saw Corry Evans intercept after the substitute kept it in, but failed to control the ball. Evans saw Armstrong making a run and gave him the ball. The forward’s first touch to take the ball into his stride was superb as he used his electrifying pace to run at the City defence. Armstrong managed to cut inside from the left and twist Kalas into a knot, before releasing another trademarked finessed effort from the top of the box which left Bentley for dead, as it bounced past him and into the bottom right-hand corner for 3-1.
Before City took the kick-off, Lee Johnson made his final three changes as Benik Afobe, Jay Dasilva and former Rovers loanee Kasey Palmer were all thrown on, in-place of Famara Diédhiou, Niclas Eliasson and Tommy Rowe, in the hope the trio could spark a Bristolian comeback.
Rovers soon made their fourth change on the 77th minute as Bradley Johnson came on for Joe Rankin-Costello, who departed with a knock. That saw Johnson slot into midfield, and Downing take up the mantle at left-back.
On the 85th minute, Rovers should have had a fourth as Dominic Samuel and Adam Armstrong combined well. The former teed up the latter, but Armstrong failed to add to his tally as Kalas did well to block the effort.
Corry Evans soon saw his name taken by the referee after he committed a foul deemed worthy of a yellow card. That turned out to be his last contribution to a game that he bossed in the centre of the park. The Northern Irishman – who earned the Man of the Match award – was soon replaced by Jacob Davenport in Rovers’ fifth and final change, in the 89th minute.
That ultimately ended up being the final noteworthy action of the game as after five uneventful minutes of time were added onto the end of the game, Rovers were able to hold on and secure a valuable three points that went a long way towards aiding their playoff push. Despite the absence of the vociferous and passionate home crowd, Rovers were able to drum up the passion and intensity needed to tackle a fellow playoff-hunting side, from within.
It’s nice to have football back, isn’t it? Rovers today, were outstanding against a side who have been in and out of the playoff spots, over the course of the season. Rovers and Tony Mowbray can all sit back tonight and reap the rewards of their hard work, both over the course of the lockdown period, and during the few days they have been training together. The plan from the off was well-executed and it was capped off by Mowbray’s perfectly-timed substitutions – even though he had two more than he’d usually have available. Although the one negative blotch on Rovers’ record today is the goal by Jamie Paterson, that will no doubt be addressed in the week, before next Saturday. A special mention has to go to Corry Evans today, who not only showed great guile in his passing ability and – rather unusually – his eye for goal, but his work-rate was second-to-none and complimented the technique of Lewis Travis, and the technical ability of Stewart Downing, well. Whilst Adam Armstrong will undoubtedly steal the headlines, for his energetic performance and goal off the bench, Ben Brereton deserves a mention for his fine display during his hour on the pitch, which desperately deserved to be capped off with his first goal of the season. Unluckily for the forward, his slip at the most vital time soured what was a top shift from the young lad.
With the season back up and running, the table is looking a lot healthier after that win, than it did in mid-March. Rovers now find themselves on the cusp of the playoffs, in 7th position, with 59 points and a positive goal difference of nine, after 38 games.
Given the uncertain times, if all goes well, Rovers should be back in action next Saturday (27th June) at 3pm, where they are set to make the short trip to the DW Stadium, to face a Wigan Athletic side hoping to build on their victory today, against Huddersfield Town. After that fixture, another away trip is on the cards for Mowbray’s men, this time to Yorkshire, where Barnsley play hosts to Rovers on Tuesday 30th June, with kick-off at the unusual 6pm time slot. After the back-to-back away games, Rovers return home, with the small matter of facing Leeds United ahead of them. Marcelo Bielsa’s side are pencilled in to visit Ewood Park on Saturday 4th July, at 3pm.
