Blackburn Rovers continued their unbeaten start to the 2021-22 campaign in fine fashion, as they chopped down Nottingham Forest, who remained rooted in the relegation zone, after Tony Mowbray’s men came from behind to send their travelling support home happy.
Following Saturday’s hard-fought 1-1 draw away at Millwall, Rovers were forced to change the weekend’s team, as Ryan Nyambe dropped out due to injury. Hayden Carter came into the side as a straight swap for the Namibian, with Tony Mowbray opting for a four at the back system, rather than the five-back that ended the game at The Den. New signing, Leighton Clarkson who joined the club on Monday was available for Rovers and found himself among the substitutes, who held an average age of 20.7.
As both sets of supporters flocked into the City Ground, it was Nottingham Forest who won the coin toss of referee Gavin Ward as the home side kicked off the game hoping to end their pointless start to the season and pick up the victory that would kickstart their campaign.
Rovers crafted the first opportunity of the game when a Hayden Carter cross was deflected behind for a corner. After some melee in the penalty area, the delayed corner was swung in by Harry Pickering onto the head of Sam Gallagher whose nod was well saved by Brice Samba, who was between the Forest posts.
The home side countered from Samba’s claim, as some early pressure saw on-loan Watford winger, Philip Zinckernagel to try his luck at goal, but Thomas Kaminski was well positioned to claim the attempt.
In the 6th minute, the winger again tested Thomas Kaminski from range, but the Belgian did brilliantly to leap down to his left and palm the ball behind for a corner, which Forest failed to capitalise on.
Two minutes later, Alex Mighten tried his luck with a low drive from range, but his accuracy didn’t match his ambitions, as the ball swayed wide.
Rovers again streamed forward in the 10th minute as Tyrhys Dolan aimed a cross towards the head of Ben Brereton Díaz, who couldn’t glance his header towards goal.
After 16 minutes, Forest were forced into a change after Arsenal loanee, Jordi Osei-Tutu pulled his hamstring, as Forest academy graduate, Finley Back came on to replace him.
Some fine Rovers possession in the 20th minute saw Harry Pickering find Brereton Díaz, who turned his man inside out before finding Joe Rothwell. The midfielder used his lightning quick feet to burst past two men before eyeing up a pull-back from just inside the box. The former Oxford United man did exactly that, as he cut the ball back into the path of the late incomer, in John Buckley, but his first-time effort was well-saved by Brice Samba, who spared the blushes of his side’s poor defending to keep the game goalless.
Rovers continued their dominance into the 35th minute as another long spell of possession ended with a Samba save. Tyrhys Dolan was fed the ball to feet, before he took a touch to sort his feet out, before releasing a snapshot from just outside the area. Despite his quick feet, Samba was alert enough to deny Dolan a first league goal of the campaign, as Forest were awarded a free-kick, after Gallagher fouled a defender, when trying for the rebound.
With Rovers again forced to shoot from range, John Buckley tried to drill one into the far corner, but once again, the Congolese goalkeeper denied the Rovers academy graduate.
After one minute of added time was called for, it didn’t take long for Gavin Ward to call time on a first period which Rovers just edged.
Chris Hughton would have been pleased with how his side had defended Rovers’ three-pronged attack, but less pleased with how his wingers, especially, had tracked the runs of their Rovers counterparts. The former Norwich City boss would have also been frustrated that his side had failed to muster more than two shots on target, particularly with the likes of Hayden Carter out of position. The former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder would have been quick to encourage his side at the break, in an attempt to try and stretch Rovers’ wafer-thin squad, in the hope that their tiredness would yield a Forest breakthrough.
Tony Mowbray, would have been slightly happier than his counterpart, given how his side had asserted their authority onto the game, for a majority of the first period, despite holding 48% of the ball, Rovers had looked more likely to open the scoring, as Harry Pickering, Joe Rothwell and Ben Brereton Díaz proved to be too hot to handle for the home side at times. Although John Buckley had spurned Rovers’ best chance of the game, courtesy of a fine reflex save from the Forest goalie, Mowbray would have been delighted with how his side had operated in the final third, calling for more composure and prolificacy in the second period.
After both teams returned from their break, it was Rovers who got the game back underway, as they looked to build on their unbeaten start to the season.
With just one minute of the second period played, Rovers earnt a free-kick just inside the left-hand touchline which Rothwell and Pickering stood over. It was the left-back who delivered the set-piece into the mixer, as Daniel Ayala did brilliantly to shift his feet quickly and stoop low enough in order to guide the ball towards the back-post, as it bounced just ahead of Samba and nestled into the back of the net, as the former Forest loanee, notched his first goal in Rovers colours to put Rovers 1-0 up.
In the 52nd minute, Jack Colback was shown a yellow card after he clattered into John Buckley on halfway, after the whistle had already gone.
On the stroke of the hour, Hayden Carter conceded a corner which Forest took quickly. With Rovers asleep, Alex Mighten tried to fizz the ball across the box with the hopes that Ryan Yates would tap the ball home at the back-post, yet young Carter redeemed himself for giving away the set-piece by putting in a fantastic last-ditch block to deny Forest the leveller.
Chris Hughton made his second change of the game in the 63rd minute, much to the dismay of the Nottingham Forest fans. João Carvalho came on to replace Alex Mighten, to a rapturous boo and chants of ‘You Don’t Know What You’re Doing’ aimed at the Forest boss.
Minutes later, Sam Gallagher was booked for descent after he threw the ball away, after being annoyed at a free-kick being given against him.
In the 68th minute, Forest were able to equalise after Rovers failed to put the ball out of play for Lewis Travis to be treated, following a heavy tackle. Despite the midfielder battling on, he was unable to properly trackback as Rovers looked lost in their defensive shape. The ball soon broke to Zinckernagel who dropped a shoulder and released a left-footed effort which beat Thomas Kaminski at his near-post as Forest got themselves back level at 1-1.
Hayden Carter became the second Rovers man to be booked, after he fouled Jordan Lawrence-Gabriel via a heavy tackle, in the 70th minute.
Tony Mowbray made his first and second changes of the game, as Jacob Davenport and Harry Chapman came on to replace Tyrhys Dolan and Joe Rothwell, as Rovers changed system to a five-back.
In the 78th minute, Zinckernagel tried to double his tally for the game from a similar area where he notched his first from, but Kaminski proved equal to the Dane’s second effort.
Three minutes later, Buckley should have put Rovers back ahead. Harry Chapman was picked out by a fine pass, before bombing down the right and cutting inside. The winger did well to pin his defender down, before finding Buckley on the edge of the area, with a cut-back, but Buckley once again, could only find Samba with his strike, rather than the back of the net.
Lawrence-Gabriel received an 84th minute booking, after he hauled down Chapman, after the winger had broken free down the right.
After the booking, Forest made their final change allowed, as Tyrese Fornah made his first league appearance for the Reds, replacing the booked Jack Colback.
The 86th minute brought Rovers’ second goal of the game, which forced the Forest fans to stream out of the City Ground. A Rovers set-piece, taken by Chapman was poorly palmed by Brice Samba, before Hayden Carter kept the ball alive, with a cross back into the box. Sam Gallagher was the recipient of the chip back into the mixer, but his header towards goal was fantastically denied by Lawrence-Gabriel. Despite the goalline clearance, Forest failed to clear as the ball as Lenihan mopped up by heading the ball into an empty net to put Rovers back ahead at 2-1, late on into the tie.
As five minutes were added onto the end of the game, Jordan Lawrence-Gabriel’s fuse blew as he was given a second yellow card for a poor challenge, just inside the Rovers half, as the home side were forced to play out the rest of the added time with 10 men.
In the second minute of added time, Brereton Díaz was booked for time-wasting with the ball, as Forest were given a free-kick inside their own half.
Although Forest piled forwards with some late pressure, Rovers were able to withstand the wave and leave the City Ground with all three points for the first time since April 2019’s victory, which was also a 2-1 victory over the Reds.
Heart, passion and a bit of luck, is exactly what Rovers showed in this valiant display against a Forest side, who were itching to get their first points of the season, on the board. How many of us would have predicted both centre-backs to be on the scoresheet? Certainly not me, but the fight, determination and desire of all the players who took the field tonight, showed exactly why you should never give up in football. Although all the players put in a fine shift, Lewis Travis, Joe Rothwell and Hayden Carter were our pick(s) of the bunch, as they put in a fine display to stamp their authority over the home team.
Rovers finished the game with 39% possession, which rather shadows the opening day victory over Swansea City. Whilst it’s not something we’ll continue to drone on about in these reports, it’s certainly interesting to see how subtle changes to the side can impact performances in a big way.
Whilst we are still in the season’s infancy, Rovers currently occupy 6th place, with 7 points and a positive goal-difference of +2 from the three games played.
Next up for Rovers, is a return home to host West Bromwich Albion, on Saturday 21st August at 3pm. Following that tie, the Blues travel up to Middlesbrough, where they battle against Neil Warnock’s outfit on Saturday 28th August at 3pm. After that game, comes the first international break of the campaign and once the side return from that stoppage, they host Luton Town on 11th September at 3pm.
