Rovers got back to winning and scoring ways on Tuesday night, as a second-half rally, courtesy of goals from Scott Wharton, Tyrhys Dolan and Sam Gallagher, saw Rovers come back from a goal down at the break to condemn Wayne Rooney’s Derby County to a 3-1 defeat, at a vociferous Ewood Park.
Following the devastating, last-gasp 1-0 home loss to Bristol City at the weekend, Tony Mowbray made two changes to his team for the Tuesday night clash against Wayne Rooney’s side. Former Ram, Bradley Johnson came into the false-nine role at the expense of John Buckley, whilst Tyrhys Dolan replaced Sam Gallagher, with the two outgoing players available from the bench. Scott Wharton was marking his 22nd consecutive appearance of the season with his 100th career start.
After all the usual pre-match rituals, it was Rovers who got the game underway following the whistle from referee, Tony Harrington. Tony Mowbray’s men were looking to try and get themselves back on track to try and turn a disappointing run of form, that has only seen them net one since the start of February.
With the Rovers fans expectant of a turn in fortunes against a side fighting for their lives, it was Reda Khadra who became the first player to test a ‘keeper, just three minutes into the tie. The German turned inside onto his right-foot and tried his luck from a long way out, but Ryan Allsop wasn’t troubled by the attacker’s rolling effort.
Derby managed to beat Rovers’ press early on and show that the home side were in for a fight. After seven minutes, two former Manchester United youngsters combined as Tom Lawrence – a former Rover – teed up Ravel Morrison, for the journeyman to strike at goal, but the Jamaican international’s effort ended up hitting the advertising boards.
After a quiet period, midway through the first-half, that Derby dominated on possession, Tom Lawrence again tried to haunt his former side with a long-ranged effort, but again failed to keep his strike on-target, as the agitation inside Ewood Park grew, due to Rovers failing to stamp their authority on the game.
The 25th minute saw Rovers have their first chance since the opening few minutes, which again fell to Khadra. Tyrhys Dolan and the German combined, before the Brighton and Hove Albion loanee again tried his patented ‘cut inside and shoot’ manoeuvre but his effort failed to trouble Allsop as the shot flew wide of the near-post.
From the goal-kick, Derby managed to stun Ewood Park, as after a sustained couple minutes of pressure, Ravel Morrison managed to tap the Rams ahead after just 28 minutes. After once again beating Rovers’ press and isolating the midfield duo of Joe Rothwell and Lewis Travis, Derby piled forwards and took advantage of Rovers being at ‘sixes and sevens’, as the sustained pressure led to a throw-in that saw Rovers fail to clear their lines. A half-hearted clearance by Scott Wharton into Bradley Johnson, saw the former Ram play his side into trouble, as his lofted backpass into Travis saw the midfielder struggle to control the ball, allowing Lawrence to capitalise on the loose ball before finding Morrison who slid the ball over to Malcom Ebiowei whose shot was blocked by Jan Paul van Hecke, before an unlucky ricochet off the diving Harry Pickering saw the ball fall perfectly for Nathan Byrne who squared the ball to Morrison, to finish past Thomas Kaminski, as the Rams took an arguably deserved 1-0 lead.
With the lead in hand, the young Rams’ tails were up as they continued to take the game to Rovers. That damaging duo of Lawrence and Morrison again combined in the 39th minute as the former’s free-kick was whipped into the box, but a header back across the face of goal by Scott Wharton saw the ball fall into the path of Morrison, whose volley dropped wide of the mark.
In the 42nd minute, Lee Buchanan broke free down the Derby left-hand side and tried to find the far-corner from a tight angle, after turning into the box. With no options to aim a cross at, the Rams’ academy graduate looked to double his side’s lead with his first ever league goal, but his shot narrowly veered past the post.
As the 45th minute approached, Tony Harrington allocated one extra minute of time to be added onto the end of the first-half.
Despite only one minute being added, there was still time for Derby to double their lead and surely put Rovers out of sight. A seemingly safe situation where Rovers had a throw-in deep in their own half nearly saw Derby 2-0 up. After receiving the ball back from Joe Rothwell from the throw, Harry Pickering tried to find Thomas Kaminski, but sold the Belgian incredibly short, as Morrison’s press saw the ball deflected into the path of Lawrence whose first-time effort was magnificently stopped by the ankle of Kaminski, as the half-time whistle was blown moments later.
As Rovers departed the pitch to a chorus of boos from all corners of the ground, the dressing room was sure to be a lively place at the break, with Tony Mowbray evidently unhappy with how his side had operated during the first period. The boss would have been forgiven for blowing his top as his side had failed to show any authority in the game and were looking lost with the way they had been asked to set up, most notably Bradley Johnson who clearly looked uncomfortable setting the press against a young, fit and agile side.
The Derby County dressing room would have been quite buoyant, given the success the youthful side had accumulated in the match, yet Wayne Rooney would have quickly nipped any celebratory actions in the bud. England and Manchester United’s all-time top scorer would have wasted no time in explaining the dangers that complacency brought, particularly against a side fighting for redemption and for promotion, in-front of their home fans. The Rams boss would have also been calling upon his players to remain focussed as well as disciplined, given the potential quality that Rovers had off their bench.
After Rovers re-emerged from the dressing room incredibly later than Derby County did, the fourth official’s board was soon held aloft, as Rovers made two changes at the break in addition to a tactical switch, in the hope of turning the contest around. Bradley Dack and Sam Gallagher entered the field of play to a rapturous reception, as the duo replaced Bradley Johnson and Joe Rankin-Costello, as Rovers went back to basics by utilising a 4-4-2, with Darragh Lenihan filling in at right-back.
Following the two changes, it was Derby County who got the second period back underway hoping that they could remain in front and increase their chances of survival against all the odds.
Rovers pressed from the first whistle in the second period and led by the fresh legs of Sam Gallagher and Bradley Dack, the pairing struck fear into the eyes of the Derby backline and goalie, as the pair, backed up by Tyrhys Dolan and Joe Rothwell forced the visitors into multiple mistakes during the first seven minutes of the second-half, with Gallagher and Dolan combining in the 52nd minute to win Rovers a corner. The pressure proved vital, as the subsequent corner saw Rovers draw level through Scott Wharton who marked his 100th career start with his first Rovers league goal as he expertly diverted Joe Rothwell’s whipped corner inside the near-post, as the Blackburn End behind the goal erupted, as did the rest of Ewood Park.
The pressure continued for Rovers and so did the corners, as Derby looked lost and unable to get past Rovers’ most advanced line of pressure, as they had done in the first period and after only three minutes had past since conceding the equaliser, a long-range volley by van Hecke saw Rovers win another corner which lifted the momentum of the crowd, as the pendulum swung in Rovers’ favour.
Just before the set-piece could be taken by Rothwell, the referee, Mr. Harrington had to put an end to some handbags being thrown inside the penalty area, as Tom Lawrence and Sam Gallagher were deemed the main culprits of some rather shocking diving by the Rams inside their own penalty area, in the hope one of the Rovers attackers would be booked. After the ‘argie-bargie’ was settled, Rothwell deceived the entire Derby side by playing a short corner into the path of Bradley Dack who had gravitated out of the pack and towards the corner of the penalty area. The returning talisman wasted no time in taking a touch as he delivered an inch-perfect first-time cross towards the back-post which caused Ryan Allsop to hesitate, gifting Tyrhys Dolan half a yard of space to leap amongst the bodies and nod Rovers ahead for the first-time in the game as Ewood erupted for 2-1.
In the 67th minute, the game’s first booking came the way of Ravel Morrison after the 29-year-old found himself in an off-the-ball altercation with Jan Paul van Hecke.
Wayne Rooney soon turned to his bench in the 73rd minute as on-loan Crystal Palace forward, Luke Plange and former Rover, Colin Kazim-Richards were soon introduced, as Malcom Ebiowei and Jason Knight departed the field.
With Rovers on the up, Tony Mowbray made his final change of the game in the 80th minute to aid the transition and freshen legs up as Ryan Giles soon replaced Reda Khadra.
A minute later, Derby County made their own final alteration, as Festy Ebosele replaced Lee Buchanan.
In the 83rd minute, Lewis Travis was soon booked for a late lunge on newly introduced substitute, Festy Ebosele.
Joe Rothwell nearly capped his brilliant second-half, which included the assist for the equaliser, with Rovers’ third goal of the night. After skipping past a few Derby bodies with his blistering pace, Rothwell opened up a shooting angle, but couldn’t find the inside of the far-post with his curling effort.
From the goal-kick following Rothwell’s effort, Colin Kazim-Richards fell awkwardly, under the challenge of Darragh Lenihan, after flicking on the ‘keeper’s punt up-field and required lengthy treatment and was deemed unable to continue as he was soon stretchered off, leaving Derby to fend with 10 men for the remaining minutes plus added time.
After Kazim-Richards was stretchered off to a warm applause from all supporters, referee Tony Harrington added on a minimum of six minutes, that was sure to be increased following the injury and departure of Kazim-Richards.
Rovers soon made their man advantage and extension in time count, as they brilliantly worked their way forwards and scored a third goal to seal the three points, courtesy of two substitutes combining, as Ryan Giles moved into double figures for assists this campaign, with 10, whilst Sam Gallagher who finished the delivery off with a powerful header, moved to seven goals for the season. After Derby could only tiredly clear the ball as far as Harry Pickering, the wing-back fed Giles down the line, who had all the space in the world to run down the left and hang up a cross, with his marker, Morrison not moving in tight on the substitute. With the freedom at his disposal, picking out Gallagher was an easy task for Giles, as he floated in a delicious cross that Gallagher finished with aplomb as he rose higher than Eiran Cashin at the back-post and nearly burst the net with his nod, as Allsop was left helpless as the ball flew over his head and into the roof of the net, for 3-1.
No sooner did the celebrations for Gallagher’s goal conclude, did Tony Harrington bring the game to an end, as the relief around Ewood Park was evident to see. Rovers’ reaction in the second-half not only saved them from a harrowing inquest, but also helped boost their aspirations towards securing a playoff spot.
There’s so much to dissect from this game, and so little time to do so. Of course, we as fans are entitled to ask the questions, including the obvious one of, ‘why on earth was Bradley Johnson the most advanced player in the first-half?’, but the intensity that the players played with in the second-half, as well as the result that the game ended with shows that the players are putting it all on the line and care as deeply about this club as we do.
Following that euphoric victory, Rovers moved up to 4th place ahead of Wednesday night’s Championship fixtures and stayed there, after QPR lost 3-1 away at Nottingham Forest. Rovers despite being inside the playoffs by two points, currently have 61 points and a positive goal-difference of +11 from the 38 games played.
Rovers’ next game sees them away from Ewood Park, as they travel down to Berkshire to face former Rovers, Paul Ince’s Reading side, on Saturday 19th March at 3pm. After that tie, we head into the final international break of season, before the Blues are again on the road when the action returns in early April, as Tony Mowbray faces his old team, Coventry City, away at the Coventry Building Society Arena on Saturday 2nd April at 3pm. After back-to-back away games, albeit with a break in between, Rovers’ second game after the intermission sees them back at Ewood Park as they face a Lancashire Clash against Blackpool on Saturday 9th April at 3pm, in the hope that they can stop the Seasiders from doing the double over them for the first time since 1977-78 in the old Division Two.
