Blackburn Rovers failed to win another Lancashire Derby, as despite a satisfactory display at Ewood Park on Friday night, in-front of the Sky Sports cameras, Ryan Lowe’s persistent Preston North End managed to snatch all three points with a last gasp winner in added time.
With Rovers buoyant after beating Norwich City, 3-1, at Carrow Road last Sunday, Jon Dahl Tomasson was facing a selection headache despite his side’s victory last time out, with up to seven players sidelined with injury, including the latest addition of Harry Pickering. Despite the return of Scott Wharton who saw his red card overturned following his dismissal against the Canaries, the boss made two changes for the Friday night clash at Ewood Park. Lewis Travis returned to the side to captain the team at right-back, as Joe Rankin-Costello became one of Rovers’ seven injury casualties, whilst Arnór Sigurðsson took the place of Harry Pickering in a Rovers reshuffle which saw a back four of Lewis Travis, James Hill, Scott Wharton and Callum Brittain.
Just before the game began at 8pm, the annual Remembrance tribute took place, with a minute’s silence behind held before the Last Post was played in tribute to the armed forces, past and present, who made the ultimate sacrifice.
With referee Thomas Bramall receiving the thumbs up from Sky Sports to get the ball rolling, it was Sammie Szmodics who began the game as Rovers were looking to grab a first home win over North End since Ben Brereton Díaz’s bullet header in 2021-22 saw them edge out a 1-0 victory.
The visitors were the first team to craft the game’s first opportunity as Milutin Osmajić’s cross was met by Duane Holmes, but a fine block by Callum Brittain managed to quell the early danger.
Rovers managed to get the ball up the other end quickly as in the 6th minute, Szmodics and Adam Wharton managed back-to-back efforts which were both blocked by Jordan Storey and Liam Lindsay, respectively.
The younger of the Wharton brothers was at it again in the 14th minute as he picked the ball up on the edge of the area and answered the fan’s cries to shoot, but his effort flew over Freddie Woodman’s crossbar.
Five minutes later, Duane Holmes tried his luck from range, but Leopold Wahlstedt was on-hand to easily gather the long-ranger.
Rovers’ fine attacking build-up was showing again after they wowed at Norwich last week, but they were unable to find the same goalscoring vain, as Tyrhys Dolan’s cross was volleyed towards goal by Arnór Sigurðsson, but the Icelandic’s effort came back off the crossbar.
In the 23rd minute, Will Keane managed to find enough space in the box to get a header off, but it proved harmless as it looped over the crossbar.
A cagey affair continued into the 32nd minute, when Callum Brittain did well to get a shot away, but his effort proved simple for Woodman to claim.
Despite the increased tensions inside Ewood Park, it was ultimately the visitors who broke the deadlock after 35 minutes, when they managed to play out from the back and exploit Rovers on the transition. As the ball was played out by Duane Holmes, he found Brad Potts who, off-balanced on the halfway, managed to pick out Alan Browne who was virtually free down the Rovers right, with a brilliant pinpoint ball. The North End skipper still had a lot of work to do, however, but he brought the ball down with skill before releasing a venomous strike with his weaker left-foot towards the near-post which proved too host for Wahlstedt to handle, as the near-6,000 away fans burst into celebration of the opener at 1-0.
Rovers looked to react before the break as a free-kick was worked to Andrew Moran in the 43rd minute, before his attempt was blocked behind for a corner.
The set-piece was eventually worked back to the on-loan Irishman who received the ball from Dolan, however Moran was set to see the same fate as his opposite winger Sigurðsson, as his half-volley again crashed back off the bar.
Despite there being two minutes of time added on at the end of the half, Moran’s effort proved to be the final goalmouth action of the period, as both sides returned to the dressing room with a lot to ponder.
Jon Dahl Tomasson would have been wondering how his side had not managed to equalise in the first period, especially after hitting the woodwork twice. The boss – whose only Lancashire Derby victories as Rovers boss came when his side did the double over Blackpool last season – would have wanted more intensity from his side as they looked to try and get the game back on track.
Ryan Lowe would have been delighted with his side’s work-rate and their ability to craft the opener. The former Plymouth Argyle boss would have ben reminding his side of the importance of this derby, especially given their strong travelling support, but also that Rovers were capable of some good play, particularly at home.
With both sides back out on the pitch, Preston restarted the game looking to extend their unbeaten streak over Rovers to three games.
Rovers came flying out of the blocks with an intent on pressing and quick football, as they shot towards the Blackburn End, as they managed to grab an early equaliser in the 49th minute, that set the tone for the rest of the second-half, courtesy of Sammie Szmodics, who moved clear of the competition in the race for the Championship golden boot. Scott Wharton picked out Moran, who drew his marker out of position before playing a fantastic ball in-behind towards Szmodics who made a brilliant run in-behind before managing to control the ball into his path as he broke into the box. Despite the defence and Woodman converging, with the chance looking as if it had gone after a split-second hesitation from the attacker, the top scorer maintained his composure to slide the ball past the on-rushing goalie to level at 1-1.
In the 55th minute, Szmodics looked to replicate his goal, as he was threaded through down the left and bore down on goal, but Woodman had his number, as the former Newcastle United goalie made a good save.
Preston’s first change came in the 61st minute as Ched Evans replaced Will Keane.
Moments later, Preston nearly re-took the lead as Brad Potts’ cross was only cleared as far as Holmes who struck the post.
In the 65th minute, Rovers had some fine build-up play that saw Dolan and Sigurðsson combine before the return ball to the former CSKA Moscow man was intercepted behind for a Rovers corner, which was soon played short before Rovers lost possession.
In the 69th minute, Ryan Lowe made further changes as Robbie Brady and Mads Frøkjær-Jensen took the places of Liam Millar and Duane Holmes.
The first – and surprisingly – only booking of the game came in the 72nd minute as Ben Whiteman was cautioned after he hacked down Moran during a Rovers move. With the Irishman on the ball, he released to Dolan before Whiteman took him out, but the advantage was played as the ex-PNE winger managed to turn away from his man and pick out Adam Wharton on the edge of the area, but like his effort in the first-half, Wharton Jr’s effort cleared the bar.
The 74th minute saw a very poignant moment as the whole of Ewood Park rose before coming together for a minute’s applause in tribute to lifelong Rovers, Alan ‘Birdy’ Birkbeck, who sadly passed away earlier this month.
Rovers soon turned to their bench four minutes later, as Harry Leonard and Dilan Markanday were introduced to give Rovers some more attacking impetus and fresh legs in the final third, as Tyrhys Dolan and Arnór Sigurðsson’s nights were over.
Moments after the changes, Rovers were on the attack again as the ball was cleared out to Callum Brittain who did well to come inside and release a shot on his right, but it didn’t have the required accuracy to sneak inside the near-post.
The full-back was again showing his attacking quality in the 86th minute as he played a one-two with Moran before forcing a save from Woodman along the byline, from a tight angle as Rovers won a corner.
As time ticked down, Rovers worked the set-piece well before Leonard cut the ball back from Szmodics to hit on the half-volley, which nearly had the whole Rovers contingent in the crowd on their feet, before a deflected saw the ball fall into the arms of Woodman.
Just as six minutes of added time was being held aloft by the fourth official, Preston won a corner, which Rovers only partially cleared as far as Mads Frøkjær-Jensen, who played a one-two with a Rovers centre-back before slipping the ball out to Alan Browne who found Ben Whiteman, who had drifted back in from taking the original corner. The one-time Rovers target was unmarked as he delivered an in-swinging first-time cross towards the back-post which saw Liam Lindsay hold off Brittain and deliver a hammer blow to Rovers as he guided his header into the bottom left-hand corner, past the reach of Wahlstedt to win the game for North End, as the near-6,000 travelling supporters behind the net went wild.
Rovers did have one final shot at grabbing something from the game as some good play saw the ball fall to Szmodics outside the area, but he couldn’t grab a brace as his low drive skewed wide of the left-hand post, as full-time soon descended onto Ewood Park.
“Frustration” is the one word that can sum up that performance, as despite Rovers doing a lot right, their lack of decisiveness in the final-third once again, proved to be their 2023-24 Achillies heel as they fell to their eighth defeat of the campaign and their fifth home loss – which is one less than they had in the entirety of 2022-23. Whilst the injury situation is well-documented and can be partially blamed for the result, given the lack of first-team experience available from the bench, Rovers were also outdone by a Preston side who played to their strengths in order to exploit a mismatched Rovers team, with Lewis Travis at right-back being the main target, as seen by the first goal.
With the international break now upon us for the third time this season, Rovers now sit in mid-table – (after Saturday’s Championship fixtures) – in 12th position, from 22 points and a negative goal-difference of -2 from 16 games.
Once football returns, Rovers will be on then road for their first game back as they travel to Stoke City on Saturday 25th November at 3pm. After that trip to the Potteries, they are back at Ewood Park to host a freefalling Birmingham City side on Wednesday 29th November at 7:45pm, before making the trip to Yorkshire to face basement side, Sheffield Wednesday at 3pm.
