Rovers finally earnt the elusive win they craved, after a moment of magic from Harvey Elliott saw Tony Mowbray’s men come back to win a game from a losing position, for only the second-time this campaign.
After Rovers managed to stop the run of defeats last time out, with a 2-2 away draw with Cardiff City last Saturday, Tony Mowbray made two changes to the side that were due to face Derby County on Friday evening as Darragh Lenihan and Tom Trybull dropped out of the side, with Jarrad Branthwaite and Lewis Holtby coming in to replace them. Whilst Tom Trybull had a spot on the bench, the captain’s armband fell to Adam Armstrong after Darragh Lenihan wasn’t involved in the squad due to a groin injury. There were two milestones to celebrate within the squad as former Ram Bradley Johnson was set to make his 600th club career appearance, whilst at the other end of the scale, Harvey Elliott was set to make his 50th senior appearance.
As Rovers stood on the centre-circle prior to a one minute’s silence in tribute to His Royal Highness The Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose funeral takes place tomorrow, Derby decided to stand on the touchline in a substitute to the Black Lives Matter Movement, which raised plenty of eyebrows from the home support on social media. Following the silence, it was Rovers who got the game underway as the Blues looked to try and earn their second victory from what would be 16 games without one.
The game’s first opportunity fell the way of Harvey Elliott on his milestone appearance. The youngster managed to cut inside and aim for the top-left corner, but he lacked the accuracy to find the net as the ball drifted over the bar.
With neither side able to get a real hold on the game, the 20th minute brought Rovers a free-kick after Sam Gallagher was brought down on the edge. Adam Armstrong stood over the set-piece and managed to force a good save from David Marshall in order to keep the score goalless.
As David Marshall was keeping the ball out of his own goal with a fine save, former Rovers loanee Tom Lawrence managed to get one over on his old club by putting the Rams ahead with a nod at the near-post. Some build-up resulted in a cross from Graeme Shinnie towards the near-post where a completely unmarked Lawrence was waiting to pounce. The Welsh international couldn’t believe his luck when he realised that we was unmarked inside the six-yard box, before he was able to power his header into the top right-hand corner to put the Rams 1-0 up, as Rovers conceded the first goal for the 25th time from their 42 league games played.
In the 32nd minute, Lewis Holtby was booked for a lunge on Graeme Shinnie. The subsequent free-kick was taken by Tom Lawrence as he tried to double his tally for the evening, but his knuckle-ball attempt was ballooned over the bar.
Rovers again were living on the edge as they failed to clean their lines once again, in the 37th minute as the ball found its way to the feet of Patrick Roberts. The Manchester City loanee did well to get the ball out of his feet before trying to find the bottom-left corner of the net, but his effort from the edge of the area trickled narrowly wide.
Parity was soon restored for Rovers in the 42nd minute, through Sam Gallagher who did well to rise highest in the box and power the ball home with a thumping header. After Ryan Nyambe did well to win a corner, Barry Douglas’ delivery was pinpoint towards the near-post as Gallagher did well to twist and flick the ball into the bottom left-hand corner of the net to draw Rovers level at 1-1.
Derby tried to respond to Rovers’ goal by trying to sneak ahead quickly through Louie Sibley who looked to try and find the bottom-right corner from inside the left-hand channel, but Thomas Kaminski once again showed why he was many Rovers fans’ picks for Player of the Season as he palmed the ball behind.
After two minutes of added time was allocated by referee Steve Martin, Brighton and Hove Albion loanee, Matt Clarke hauled down Armstrong on the right-wing and earnt a booking for his troubles. The set-piece saw Douglas and Gallagher combine again, but Gallagher was unable to replicate his goal from earlier on as he hit the side-netting.
That effort proved to be the last act of the first-half as the referee soon brought the period to an end, seconds after the ball went behind for a goal-kick.
With half-time in full-flow, Tony Mowbray would have been frustrated with the manner in which his side had again fallen behind, especially given with the ease in which Derby have been allowed to operate in Rovers’ final third. Whilst the goal may not have come to a surprise to the fans or to any statistician, the gaffer would have been frustrated that a player like Lawrence, who isn’t known for his aerial presence, was given the time and space to score with his head. On the positive side, the gaffer would have been pleased that his side had managed to score from a set-piece – something which has proved to be a rarity this season.
Wayne Rooney, in the visiting dugout, would have had similar emotions to his counterpart. Whilst the former England captain would have been pleased with what his side had produced in possession, Rooney would have been annoyed with the manner in which Gallagher’s goal had gone in, given there was ample opportunity for a clearance to be made, had a man been on the line. Alongside that, the mismatch which saw Gallagher win the header would have also annoyed the Derby boss.
After both teams had received their team-talks, they returned to the field with Derby primed and ready to restart the game as they looked to try and earn the victory that would help ease their own relegation worries.
Rovers crafted the first chance of the second period in the 52nd minute after Thomas Kaminski hooked a long-ball forward. The ‘keeper’s punt was flicked on by Lewis Holtby towards Armstrong who created space in the area before his shot was denied by the legs of David Marshall.
Both sides soon made their first changes of the evening in the 57th minute. Rovers swapped Lewis Holtby for Joe Rothwell, who replaced the German, whilst Derby brought on former Rover, Colin Kazim-Richards in-place of Louie Sibley.
A minute after the changes, Lewis Travis managed to thread Armstrong through, but the forward again forced Marshall into a save as the scoreline remained at one a-piece.
On the hour-mark, Rothwell showed what he was brought on for as he managed to pick Armstrong out with a fine pass, but Armstrong again saw his shot denied by Marshall who seemed determined not to let Rovers’ top-scorer beat him.
In the 65th minute, Harvey Elliott managed to mark his 50th senior appearance with a goal worthy of the occasion as he put Rovers ahead for the first-time in a game. Sam Gallagher’s magnificent pressing saw him dispossess Andre Wisdom as Adam Armstrong picked up the loose ball and found Elliott. The Liverpool loanee cut in onto his left-foot before skipping past a couple of Derby bodies before firing an effort that proved to be too powerful for Marshall as he palmed it into his own net’s top corner, as Elliott wheeled away in celebration of making it 2-1.
Just before the restart, Elliott was booked after he took his shirt off in which he revealed a ‘Justice for the 96’ message, after Thursday marked the 32nd anniversary of the tragic disaster.
Alongside the booking, Derby used the time to make a double change as Lee Buchanan and Louie Watson came on and replaced Craig Forsyth and Kamil Jóźwiak.
Two minutes after the restart, Derby earnt a free-kick on the edge of the Rovers box which Tom Lawrence stood over. The Welshman’s second knuckle-ball attempt of the game proved to be more accurate than the one he had in the first-half as he forced a fine save by Kaminski, who dealt well with a deflection, en-route. The Belgian’s parry fell straight to Nathan Byrne who struck the post from yards out, before Rovers cleared.
The 83rd minute saw Rovers make a double change as Ben Brereton and Elliott Bennett replaced Sam Gallagher and Harvey Elliott.
Thomas Kaminski was again in action to deny Derby a leveller after Colin Kazim-Richards was offered a header inside the box. The former Rover found space between two Rovers defenders as he tried to direct a cross into the back of the net, but the fantastic reflexes of the Belgian kept his side ahead as Jarrad Branthwaite cleared the loose ball.
Rovers were up in arms less than a minute after Kaminski’s save as Max Bird looked as if he had brought Armstrong down illegally as the Rovers hitman had a clear run through at goal. After breaking on the counter-attack, Armstrong only had Bird and Marshall between the goal. Although Marshall was off his line, Armstrong was unable to find the space to potentially chip the Scot, as Bird clattered into the forward, as referee Steve Martin waved play on.
Rovers’ final change of the game came in the 87th minute as Corry Evans replaced Adam Armstrong as Rovers looked for more defensive solidity.
A minute later, Ben Brereton nearly had a chance to put the game to bed, but his shot was well saved by Marshall after the forward cut inside onto his right-foot but was ultimately denied.
As the 90th minute ticked over, Mr. Martin added on four minutes of time added onto the end of the game as Derby looked to try and force an equaliser.
Despite a couple of set-pieces for the visitors, they were unable to grab the much needed goal they needed in order to ease their own relegation worries as full-time soon condemned Wayne Rooney’s side to a 21st defeat of the season, as Rovers claimed a win from a losing positive for only the second-time this season – with the first being against Rotherham United – as they earnt their second win from their last 16 games.
Whilst the result is sure to leave us Rovers fans with a smile on our faces, one can’t help but note the rather underwhelming first-half display which left a lot scratching their heads at half-time as to how on earth a team can perform so poorly. Although the players managed to turn the result around courtesy of a piece of magic from Harvey Elliott, the manner of the Derby goal will surely cause more questions among social media and within the Rovers analyst room than a ‘standard’ goal conceded normally should. After finally picking up a win, lots of Rovers fans will still not allow the happiness of a victory to cloud their judgement regarding the overall picture of where the club find themselves after what has been a tough footballing year.
In the words of Tony Mowbray; ‘it doesn’t matter if we finish 9th or 17th’, but the boss might be pleased to know that his side are sat in 14th after hitting the ‘magical’ 50 points and a positive +6 goal-difference from the 42 games played this season.
Rovers’ next three fixtures see them pick a fight with three sides from Yorkshire! The first is a trip to Hillsborough where they lock horns with Sheffield Wednesday on Tuesday 20th April at 7pm, as the Owls fight to try and survive in the division after their points deduction earlier in the year. After that tie, Rovers return to Lancashire, but play hosts to Huddersfield Town on Saturday 24th April at 3pm. Following that clash, Rovers’ final away trip of the season again sees them cross the Pennines in order to face Rotherham United, who will be in a precarious position, given that relegation is also looming behind them, despite the games in hand they have racked up due to COVID-related postponements.
