Blackburn Rovers were destroyed down in the West Country, as a five-star display from Bristol City exacerbated John Eustace’s side’s relegation worries as Rovers were dismantled by the Robins.
After an impressive goalless draw against what are surely playoff certainties, Southampton, at Ewood Park on Saturday, John Eustace has made one change to the weekend’s team, which has been enforced. After Ryan Hedges was ruled out for the remaining five games of the season with the hamstring injury that saw him hobble off the pitch against the Saints, his replacement on the day, Dilan Markanday has replaced him in the team. There was a bright light on the bench, as 16-year-old, Igor Tyjon – signed from Rochdale in the summer – is included in a first-team matchday squad for the first-time in his young career.
With anticipation building at Ashton Gate, Rovers came into the game knowing that any result would help further ease their worries of a potential relegation to the third tier, as Sammie Szmodics got the ball rolling against his former club.
The hosts were the first side to try and open the scoring early on, after just four minutes as a City free-kick found Scott Twice in the box, but the winger – who was playing Rovers for the third time this season, having faced them twice whilst at Hull City on loan – saw his effort veer wide of Aynsley Pears’ post.
Moments later, the Burnley loanee was at it again as he didn’t let the boos from the away section faze him as his volleyed strike was deflected behind for a corner that Rovers eventually dealt with.
In the 13th minute, Rovers won a central free-kick which was lofted into the box by Callum Brittain, as Rovers continued to recycle the ball before winning a corner that they were unable to test Max O’Leary with as the play soon petered out for a goal-kick.
After 18 minutes, Rovers chalked up their first shot on target after Brittain’s long throw was cleared as far as Dilan Markanday. The incoming winger managed to strike an ambitious half-volley that trickled safely down the throat of O’Leary who made a simple save.
Three minutes later, Joe Rankin-Costello tried his luck, but also saw O’Leary easily save the effort from range.
After some good pressing and attacking organisation from Rovers, the ball was won back inside the Robins’ area as Markanday managed to, once again, earn a strike at goal, but it was once again classed as catching practice by the goalkeeper.
That save proved to be more important that it looked as the hosts managed to take advantage of Rovers being out of possession after pressing the Bristol backline, as they managed to get the ball up the pitch. As the ball was played forwards, a mistake by Dominic Hyam saw Tommy Conway pounce on the loose ball before having the composure to tuck the ball inside the near-post towards the bottom left-hand corner to give the Robins a 24th minute lead.
With 26 minutes gone, Sammie Szmodics was still seeking his 30th goal of the season as he drove a low effort from just outside the box, but again, O’Leary had no trouble claiming the effort.
The game’s first booking of the game was brandished by referee Robert Madley after Joe Rankin-Costello brought his man down on halfway.
Things went from bad to worse for Rovers just after the half-hour mark as another mistake by Dom Hyam saw him forced to scythe down Mark Sykes inside the areas as Bristol City were awarded their fourth Championship penalty of the season, as they looked to continue their 100% record from the spot, having converted the three prior to this evening. Tommy Conway shouldered the responsibility of the spot-kick as he stepped forward in search of his brace and what would be his ninth league goal of the campaign, which he duly earnt after slotting the ball down the middle for 2-0.
In the 36th minute, in an effort to get back into the game, a cross from the left-hand side was curled in towards Sam Gallagher who wasn’t able to generate power into his glancing header which skidded well wide of the upright.
Mark Sykes sped through on goal in the 39th minute after he was threaded through, beyond Rovers’ advanced backline. Although Pears came out to meet him, Sykes managed to get the telling touch on the ball to try and poke it past the goalkeeper, but he couldn’t angle his effort towards goal as it shot wide of the left-hand upright.
Moments later, Scott Twine tried to treble the hosts’ lead with an effort from distance, but his strike didn’t trouble Pears.
With 43 minutes gone, Tommy Conway looked set to earn the match ball after being send through, but Pears rushed out and managed to make a fine stop with his feet.
As the interval loomed, Bobby Madley called for three additional minutes in which to extend the first-half with, before the half-time whistle soon came and put Rovers out of their misery.
As the break, City boss Liam Manning would have been delighted with his side’s application and their ability to both, use the ball well, but also press a nervous Rovers team. The former Oxford United manager, who lost the reverse fixture at Ewood Park in what was only his sixth game at the helm, would have wanted his side to continue their intensity, however he would have reminded his team of Rovers’ attacking ability.
John Eustace would have been quietly seething after watching his side go from such a defiant defensive display against a side red-hot for goals at the weekend, to conceding two sloppy efforts off the back of two mistakes. The Rovers boss would have remained calm on the surface, however and would have wanted to remind his team that it was still all to play for in the second period.
Just before the second-half got underway again, in what was probably a first in the club’s history, Blackburn Rovers made FOUR half-time changes. Ben Chrisene, Kyle McFadzean, Andrew Moran and John Buckley were all introduced, as Scott Wharton, Joe Rankin-Costello, Tyrhys Dolan and Dilan Markanday all departed.
After both sides returned to the field of play, the hosts got the action underway again as they were aiming for, what would become, their second Ashton Gate win over Rovers in their last five games.
With the hosts in total control of the overall affair, it took until the 69th minute for them to nearly treble their lead as Jason Knight’s eventual effort from outside the area landed wide of the mark.
Moments later, Sammie Szmodics was let loose as he found half-a-yard of space to turn into before trying to spark a comeback, but the prolific attacker’s slotted finish hit the advertising board in-front of the away end, rather than the back of the net.
In the 72nd minute, Bristol City made a triple change as Anis Mehmeti, Harry Cornick and Nakhi Wells were introduced as Scott Twine, Mark Sykes and Tommy Conway all departed to standing ovations.
Rovers’ terrible evening was compounded as the scoreline soon turned to 3-0 after Anis Mehmeti wasted absolutely no time getting acquainted with the game, as he produced some fine footwork to skip past Dom Hyam and curl the ball with his right-foot, past the sprawling Pears, to net after only being on the field for around 60 seconds.
Four minutes after making it 3-0, the hosts saw one of their substitutes net another, as Nakhi Wells managed to make it 4-0 following more shambles inside the Rovers penalty after Kyle McFadzean was judged to have handled the ball by Bobby Madley. As McFadzean received his booking, Wells spotted the ball and prepared his run up as he perfectly dispatched the second spot-kick of the game, into the top right-hand corner, to keep the Robins at 100% from the spot in the league.
With 81 minutes gone, Rovers made their final change as Jake Garrett replaced Sondre Tronstad, before Andy King was introduced by the hosts, two minutes later, as Joe Williams departed.
In the 85th minute, Liam Manning’s final change saw him introduce 19-year-old, Jamie Knight-Lebel for the final moments as he replaced Ross McCrorie.
With the 90th minute on the clock, Bobby Madley added a minimum of six added minutes onto the end of the game, which gave Bristol City the time to further compile Rovers’ misery.
In what was the final kick of the game, former Burnley attacker, Nakhi Wells made it five after Harry Cornick rolled the ball across the face of goal to give the Bermudan a tap-in for 5-0, to cap off a five-star display from the Robins, before the full-time whistle was blown straight after kick-off.
‘Pathetic, abject, disappointing, calamitous, soft’; feel free to add your own adjective when wanting to describe this performance, as Rovers seemed to completely forget and discard all of their strong defensive motives that saw them fight to keep a clean-sheet in their previous outing. After some solid displays in recent weeks where it looked like the squad had turned a corner, Rovers looked unable to do anything productive or of value tonight, not particularly due to Bristol City’s fine play, but due to their own ineptitude.
Despite other relegation rivals playing both, yesterday and tonight, Rovers do sit 18th with four games remaining, despite being hammered. They remain on 46 points, but have seen their goal-difference, which started the night at -10, take a huge hit down to -15, to undo all of the great work they did at Sunderland on Easter Monday.
Things don’t get any easier for Rovers as they have to face a trip to Elland Road next, to face high-flying Leeds United on Saturday 13th April at the earlier kick-off time of 12:30pm – a game which will be live on Sky Sports. After that, Rovers return to Ewood Park to host fellow relegation rivals, Sheffield Wednesday for another 12:30pm start as the game on Sunday 21st April is also on Sky Sports. The final game hosted by Ewood Park comes six days later, on Saturday 27th April at 3pm as Coventry City try to keep their playoff hopes alive in East Lancashire.
