The Sky Sports cameras were treated to some Monday Night Football at Ewood Park, as Blackburn Rovers and Wigan Athletic, played out an exhilarating goalless draw, much to the sarcastic delight of yours truly(!)
Following Rovers’ Deadline Day which was packed full of mixed emotions, as despite beating Birmingham City, 1-0 after extra-time, in the FA Cup Fourth Round Replay at St. Andrew’s, the administration staff suffered a defeat, missing out on Nottingham Forest midfielder, Lewis O’Brien and Rochdale youngster, Ethan Brierley due to errors in the paperwork. Although Jon Dahl Tomasson did his job correctly that night, he made two changes for this game, six days on. Hayden Carter came in to replace Daniel Ayala, who was absent with a foot injury that he picked up, alongside his red card, in the draw with Bristol City, whilst Sorba Thomas came in for his Rovers debut, replacing Tyrhys Dolan who was available from the bench. Aynsley Pears was starting his first league game for 14 months following a Man of the Match performance against Birmingham City in Tuesday’s replay, but was also helped by the fact Thomas Kaminski had suffered a knee injury in the week.
With the eyes of many worldwide on Ewood Park, it was Rovers who got the game underway as they looked to try and kickstart their post-World Cup break and break back into the playoffs, after dropping to 8th due to other results.
After successive Wigan Athletic corners, Rovers managed to clear the ball after three minutes when Bradley Dack’s sublime first-time through ball set Ben Brereton-Díaz away, who was stalking around the halfway line. The Chilean picked the ball up and had half the pitch to himself as he closed down on goal, but his telegraphed shot proved simple for Ben Amos to save down to his left.
On-loan Norwich City midfielder, Danel Sinani crafted Wigan’s first shot-on-target for the visitors as Will Keane’s knockdown to the Luxembourgish loanee, whose effort was a simple save for Pears to make.
Lewis Travis burst forwards to win the ball back inside the visitor’s half in the 16th minute and found Jack Vale who fizzed a ball across the face of goal, but it was cleared behind before it could reach either Bradley Dack or Ben Brereton Díaz.
Rovers managed to win the ball back in their own box and craft a lovely passing move, that needed a bit of luck to reach x total passes. Once Rovers got the ball into the final-third, Sorba Thomas found Lewis Travis, who teed up Joe Rankin-Costello, but the wing-back’s effort trickled narrowly past the far-post.
Callum Lang’s eyes lit up in the 27th minute, as the attacker tried to piledrive an effort in from distance, but despite Aynsley Pears panicking as he dived across goal, the ball veered wide of the mark.
Lewis Travis had the game’s next opportunity moments later, as he cut inside and looked to curl one in, but saw his attempt blocked by Arsenal loanee, Omar Rekik.
Danel Sinani again tried to pot one in from range in the 35th minute, but his shot ballooned high and wide.
Wigan again were trying to shoot from range as Callum Lang drove forward and drilled a swaying shot towards the near-post, but Pears got down well to deny the visitors the lead, as Rovers were soon awarded a free-kick following the succeeding corner after a high foot by a Wigan player.
In the 42nd minute, Jack Vale did well to control a fizzed ball into his path before threading Sorba Thomas in, but the new signing forced a good save out of Ben Amos.
Despite one minute of time being added on at the end of the first-half, Matt Donohue soon brought the first period to an end.
Jon Dahl Tomasson would have been satisfied with the luck Rovers had crafted defensively, but would have required more concentration from his players at both ends of the pitch. Rovers had failed to net the first goal of the game, but had shown a lot of encouraging signs, despite a shaky defensive showing.
Shaun Maloney’s first-half as Wigan boss would have left the Malaysian-born Scot deep in thought as he looked to drag his former side out of the relegation mire. The 2013 FA Cup Winner would have been satisfied with his side’s display as they managed to once again, show their quality away from the DW Stadium, without piercing the Rovers net.
Following the break, it was Wigan Athletic who started the second-half, as they looked to try and get only their second ever Ewood Park victory.
Omar Rekik – brother of former Rovers loanee, Karim – looked to try and grab a goal on his debut from centre-half as he stormed forwards and looked to caress an effort into the bottom right-hand corner, but it edged just wide of Pears’ glove & the far-post.
Three minutes after his missed attempt, Rekik departed with a hamstring injury, as Tom Pearce came on to replace the new signing.
Jon Dahl Tomasson made a double switch in the 62nd minute as Tyler Morton and Sam Gallagher replaced John Buckley and Jack Vale, as the Rovers pair entered the pitch with a note for Bradley Dack.
Wigan thought they’d gone ahead in the 64th minute, when a corner was turned in at the back-post, but referee Matt Donohue ruled the goal out after Callum Lang smashed into Aynsley Pears, leaving the goalkeeper helpless.
Minute 66 saw Thelo Aasgaard replace Danel Sinani, as Wigan looked to freshen up their attacking options in the final 25 minutes.
A move down Rovers’ left nearly saw Ben Amos drop a clanger in the 67th minute, as a Joe Rankin-Costello cross proved to be a hot potato for the goalkeeper, but Wigan managed to clear, before Rovers steamed into the box.
Hayden Carter was booked in the 68th minute after hauling down Lang in the left-hand channel, but Max Power indeed did what it says on the tin and applied maximum power to the free-kick as Rovers were awarded a goal-kick.
Wigan were forced into a third change, and backed it up with a fourth in the 74th minute, as Steven Caulker – linked with Rovers in the summer – replaced the injured Martin Kelly, whilst Charlie Wyke came on for Will Keane, to change Wigan’s attacking impetus.
Carter broke forwards and provided a deep cross which swirled into the air and landed for Rankin-Costello on the half-volley, but his attempt ended up on the seats in the Blackburn End.
Two more changes were brought on for Rovers as Sammie Szmodics and Ryan Hedges replaced Bradley Dack and Sorba Thomas, in the 80th minute.
Ben Brereton Díaz was booked in the 84th minute after clattering into Max Power, but Wigan’s free-kick was intercepted by the head of Scott Wharton, before Aynsley Pears claimed the loose ball.
James McClean was booked after a late challenge on Rankin-Costello, in the 88th minute. The Rovers defender was also booked for his reaction to the winger’s challenge.
As the 90th minute ticked over onto the clock, the officiating team added on 7 minutes onto the end of the tie, as Rovers edged closer to back-to-back draws for the first-time this season.
Rovers won a direct free-kick that Tyler Morton tried to beat Ben Amos with at the near-post, but the ball hit the side-netting.
Rovers saw a 96th minute penalty claim waved away by Matt Donohue as Jack Whatmough stumbled into Harry Pickering, who hit the deck, but the Rovers appeals were waved away.
With the penalty denied, it wasn’t long until the official brought a very dismal affair to an end, as neither side really benefitted from their Monday night outing, despite all their efforts.
It’s always difficult to judge a goalless draw when you haven’t won a league game for nearly a full calendar month. The clean-sheet, of course, is always a positive, yet it coming against a side rooted to the bottom of the division would arguably lower the ranking of the achievement in the eyes of some. The real issue came at the top end of the field as Rovers failed to find the back of the net, with star man, Ben Brereton Díaz remaining anonymous since the return from the World Cup break in November. Rovers showed some promise in their stability on the ball, with new signing, Sorba Thomas impressing with some lively play, yet the lack of a focal point is what ultimately hindered Rovers, tonight.
Despite the draw, Rovers did move up a place come full-time, as they leapfrogged Millwall into 7th place. Jon Dahl Tomasson’s men sit on 44 points from 29 games played, despite holding a negative -4 goal-difference.
With Ewood Park emptied at full-time, it would be another 12 days before the floodlights would be switched back on, with Rovers’ next two ties coming on the road. The first is away at Watford on Saturday 11th February at 3pm at Vicarage Road, before a midweek clash at The Hawthorns against West Bromwich Albion, on Wednesday 15th February at 8pm. The Rovers return on Saturday 18th February will see them host possession-hungry, Swansea City at Ewood Park at 3pm.
