Rovers’ first ever competitive game against Harrogate Town broke a 60-year-old record, as the Blues racked up their biggest ever away win, as Jon Dahl Tomasson received a belated 47th birthday present after watching his side stroll into the Carabao Cup Third Round, following an 8-0 triumph.
Following Rovers’ fantastic 1-0 win away at Watford on Sunday, Jon Dahl Tomasson made wholesale changes to keep his squad fresh ahead of the second game of three this week, prior to the first international break of the season as the average age was lowered to 23.5 from Sunday’s 24.5.
Leopold Wahlstedt came in to make his debut for Rovers to replace Aynsley Pears, who was given the night off, whilst vice-captain Dominic Hyam skippered the side for the evening, as he partnered Scott Wharton, with Harry Pickering returning from suspension on the left. Patrick Gamble was given his senior debut at right-back, despite impressing in pre-season at centre-back. The midfield trio was made up of the experienced Sondre Tronstad, who sat at the base to allow John Buckley and Jake Garrett to roam ahead of him, whilst Andrew Moran was also awarded a first start, alongside Dilan Markanday and Sam Gallagher.
The Rovers bench was mostly on the side of youth, with Joe Hilton, Tom Atcheson, Rhys Doherty, James Edmondson, Zak Gilsenan and Thomas Bloxham all being named as spare, alongside the more seasoned trio of Hayden Carter, Callum Brittain and Sammie Szmodics.
With Rovers’ allocation full to the brim at 450, it was the visitors who got the ball rolling at kick-off, as they looked to mark their first ever visit to the EnviroVent Stadium, with a victory.
Ten minutes into the game, Rovers managed to continue their fine goalscoring form in this competition as Jake Garrett netted his second in as many games with a cool finish across the goalkeeper. After the ball was played inside by Harry Pickering, a heavy touch by John Buckley saw the ball fall to Sam Gallagher who had the awareness to slide in Garrett, who did well to stay onside. The energetic midfielder showed his class by taking the ball onto his left-foot and finding the bottom left for 1-0.
Rovers soon doubled their lead, just three minutes later, as Sam Gallagher added a second goal of the season to his earlier assist. Buckley received the ball on the half-turn and lobbed through a brilliantly weighted ball into Gallagher’s path, over three home players. The striker capitalised on a poor attempted clearance by his marker as he anticipated the bounce before producing a ‘touch and finish’ for 2-0.
From the kick-off, Harrogate were looking to react straight away as Jack Muldoon broke forwards, but was denied by the intimidating presence of Leopold Wahlstedt, who made a fine save.
In the 18th minute, Rovers were on the prowl as Buckley regained possession inside the Harrogate half before feeding Markanday, but the forward’s attempt was blocked and turned behind for a corner.
Four minutes later, Goalscorer Garrett was booked for a tough tackle on halfway, before Wahlstedt was again called into action in the 25th minute as he again denied an offside Muldoon.
34 minutes came and so did Rovers’ third of the evening, as following a fine free-flowing move, Andrew Moran skipped past the outrushing Mark Oxley. The Brighton winger did fantastically to stay on his feet before spinning on a sixpence and picking out John Buckley’s run from deep via a pass that nutmegged the defender, before the academy graduate turned from creator to clinical as he made it 3-0 with a fine finish.
Harrogate looked to bring some hope to their fans ahead of the break as Muldoon did well to get in behind Dominic Hyam and latch onto a through ball, but the forward’s first-time left-footed effort was always curling away from goal.
Just before the fourth official raised their board, Harry Pickering raised a cross towards Gallagher whose first attempt was blocked before his second was volleyed over the bar.
After three minutes of time was added onto the end of the first period, Rovers wasted no time in making it 4-0 as Dilan Markanday grabbed his second of the season, after netting on the opening day victory against West Bromwich Albion. The attacker twisted and turned in the box before finding half an inch of space in order to make out the bottom left-hand corner, as he delivered an ‘eye of the needle’ finish to all but put one foot into Round Three, as the half-time whistle was blown moments later.
Simon Weaver would have been disheartened by his side’s deficit at the break, but would have known that a tie against a side two divisions above them would have been a difficult one to handle. He would have wanted his side to continue their efforts and look to try and give their home crowd something to shout about in the second period.
Jon Dahl Tomasson’s delight at the break would have been evident, with the boss seeing his team cut through Harrogate like a knife through butter at points during the first period. The Dane would have been pleased with his belated birthday present, but would have urged his side to not take their foot off the gas and show their full potential.
Just before the home side restarted the game for the second-half, both sides made alterations as Simon Weaver made a triple change at the break as Abraham Odoh, Matty Daly and George Horbury all departed and were replaced by Sam Folarin, ex-Rover Anthony O’Connor and Luke Armstrong. Jon Dahl Tomasson, meanwhile, rested Dom Hyam and Harry Pickering, introducing Hayden Carter and Zak Gilsenan in their places.
Gilsenan nearly grabbed two in as many cup ties moments after entering the field as he received a cut back from Garrett, but the winger couldn’t net in consecutive Carabao Cup games, as his effort clipped the bar.
Rovers did have another chance to extend their lead in the 51st minute after Sondre Tronstad was fould inside the penalty area, which gave John Buckley the chance to make it 5-0, which he duly delivered after sending Oxley the wrong way from the spot.
The changes were again in the offing for both teams, as James Daly replaced Jack Muldoon in the 62nd minute, whilst James Edmondson and Thomas Bloxham were introduced for Sam Gallagher and Andrew Moran.
Rovers soon won a free-kick in the 67th minute as Zak Gilsenan stood over the ball, alongside messrs Buckley and Garrett, but the substitute’s single-mindedness paid off as he dispatched the free-kick perfectly, through an emerging gap in the wall, past the rooted Oxley for 6-0!
6-0 didn’t last long as Rovers managed to net again to enter seventh heaven as Tom Bloxham was slid through, deep inside the home half, before using the defender as a guide to find the bottom corner for 7-0 as he marked his senior debut with a perfect finish!
7-0 became 8-0 just three minutes later, as Rovers matched their goals scored in their record away win, which was an 8-2 victory over West Ham United back in 1963, as James Edmondson got in on the act and managed to grab his own debut goal. The substitute’s off-ball run through the heart of the defence was perfectly timed as he was fed through before getting the better of Oxley to make the night even sweeter for the Blues and their supporters.
On the 80th minute, 16-year-old Tom Atcheson was handed his senior debut as he replaced Patrick Gamble for the final ten minutes.
Six minutes later, Edmonson tried to clinch nine and his second of the night, but Oxley stood firm to deny further embarrassment for the home side.
As the 90th minute ticked over, three minutes of time were added, which saw Jake Garrett try and end the scoring, just like he started it, as he drove forward, but failed to match the accuracy of the game’s opener.
The final act of the night saw Edmondson booked for his trouble, as the final whistle was soon blown on a pulsating night at the EnviroVent, with Rovers booking their place in the Third Round for a second successive season!
You wouldn’t have known that Blackburn Rovers side’s average age was 23.5 if you were just glancing at the scoreline one evening. That was a perfect performance – dare I steal Rovers’ own pun and say it was ‘gr8’?!
A performance of maturity against hardened League Two professionals who will be hurting by that display, however for Rovers there are endless positives from such a game, with the most important of them being the experience that it offers the youth. Whilst the clean-sheet should also be applauded, the impact that the likes of Zak Gilsenan, Tom Bloxham and James Edmonson showed from the sidelines will be forever remembered. The likes of Pat Gamble and Tom Acheson, too who both proved sturdy, despite the ever-growing scoreline.
Whilst Jon Dahl Tomasson will be delighted with this performance, he will have no doubt used his youngsters to make a point to the powers that be, given there are two days left until the summer transfer window slams shut.
As they await their Third Round destiny, their league destiny is known, in terms of the scheduling, as Rovers’ final game before the first international break of the season sees them travel to Devon to face Plymouth Argyle on Saturday 2nd September at 3pm. Following the two week interval, Rovers are back in action at home to Michael Carrick’s struggling Middlesbrough, on Saturday 16th September at 3pm, before welcoming another North-Eastern side, in Sunderland on Wednesday 20th September for the 7:45pm start.
