Rovers’ final away game of the season summed up their season as despite dominating all aspects of the game, they were ultimately forced to leave the AESSEAL New York Stadium with a 1-1 draw against Rotherham United after they were pegged back late on.
After Rovers ran rampant in their last fixture, which saw them beat Huddersfield Town by a 5-2 scoreline, Tony Mowbray opted to only make one change to the side for this clash in Yorkshire. In came Bradley Johnson for his 50th league start for the club, as Corry Evans was the departing player. Adam Armstrong, who spearheaded the Rovers side also made his 150th league appearance for the club.
With Rotherham United anxious given the precarious situation down the wrong end of the table, they took the kick-off hoping to make home advantage count and capitalise on Rovers’ potential ‘on the beach’ attitude, given the Blues had nothing but pride to play for.
Rotherham managed to fashion a chance inside the first 60 seconds as Freddie Ladapo found Ryan Giles on the left-wing who wasted no time in putting the ball into the box. Jamie Lindsay’s flick at the near-post was cleared by Taylor Harwood-Bellis before the ball bounced back to Ladapo whose half-volley was deflected behind by Darragh Lenihan for a corner, which Rovers soon dealt with.
The hosts tried to get themselves into the game, but found themselves being passed off the park by Rovers and were being forced to utilise the long, direct balls into the strikers, yet despite that, they were the side who fashioned the game’s second chance. A speculative seventh minute cross by Michael Smith saw Ryan Nyambe only clear the ball as far as Lindsay who tried his luck with a half-volley from the edge of the area, but the shot dragged wide of the upright.
Rotherham again were able to trouble Rovers, who despite all of their possession and the odd free-kick in the Rotherham final third, weren’t really testing Chelsea loanee, Jamal Blackman at this point in the game. On the 14th minute, the Lindsay/Ladapo combination re-appeared as some pinball in the final third, saw Smith chest the ball down to Lindsay who picked out Ladapo with his back to goal. The 28-year old journeyman did well to bring the ball down and hold off Nyambe, before hitting a snapshot towards goal which trickled safely into the palms of Thomas Kaminski.
Despite the host’s good start to the game, it was Rovers who would go on to take the lead in the 17th minute, as a speculative ball forwards saw Adam Armstrong ignite into action. After Rovers dealt with some aerial crosses into the box, Amari’i Bell’s clearance downfield, arguable turned into the assist of the season as United centre-half, Angus MacDonald took too long to clear, before he was pickpocketed by Adam Armstrong who found himself clean through on goal with only Blackman to beat. The Geordie forward needed no second invitation, as he opened up his body before finessing the ball into the bottom right-hand corner of the net, to put Rovers ahead at 1-0, with his 26th goal of the season, in all competitions.
On the 19th minute, Ben Brereton decided to try his luck from distance as he picked the ball up from around 25-yards out before striking, but his shot lacked the accuracy to trouble Blackman into a save, as it bobbled behind for a goal-kick.
The first booking of the game appeared two minutes later, as Michael Smith was booked for clipping Ryan Nyambe, as the Namibian tried to speed down the wing.
Rovers had gotten into a better rhythm by the 22nd minute as some good build-up play saw Joe Rothwell slip Armstrong in-behind the Rotherham backline, but the on-rushing Chelsea loanee did well to block the shot behind for a Rovers corner, which the hosts cleared.
Moments later, Rovers’ pressure had won them a second corner which again gave Armstrong the chance to look for his brace. Rotherham again won first contact on the set-piece but the ball only fell as far as Lewis Travis who nodded the ball into the path of Armstrong who lined up a volley from just inside the box, but the forward could only force Blackman into collecting the ball, as the second-time of asking.
In the 28th minute, Rotherham managed to get another sight of the Rovers goal, as Giles drilled the ball into the box, but Chiedozie Ogbene failed to guide his header on target, as it harmlessly sailed past the post.
Four minutes later, Rovers were again looking to threaten as Joe Rothwell stood over a wide free-kick. The former Oxford United man offered an enticing delivery towards the back-post which Sam Gallagher rose to meet, but the former Southampton man mistimed his jump, as his awkward header saw him flick the ball into the stand, rather than towards goal.
The game’s first change came in the 36th minute as Rotherham were forced to withdraw Angus MacDonald and introduce Wes Harding in his place.
As the game returned to its natural scrappy nature, with Rotherham trying to get themselves back level, Rovers were able to break through the Rotherham lines and craft another chance in the 42nd minute. Ben Brereton carried the ball forwards from deep but saw his pathway to goal blocked by three Red and White shirts. He elected to lay the ball off for Rothwell who tried his luck with a first-time strike, from around 25-yards out, but the midfielder’s left-footed shot was skewed wide.
As referee Tony Harrington signalled for three added minutes onto the end of the first-half, both sides were able to craft chances at goal before the first period was drawn to a close.
The first chance fell the way of the hosts in the first minute of the added time, as Giles tried to throw in a late ‘Goal of the Season’ contender, but saw his effort from far out, go into orbit.
The final chance of the half, which fell Rovers’ way saw Joe Rothwell look to atone for his earlier miss as he again received the ball on the edge of the area, from Brereton, but the Rovers #8’s effort, like that of Giles, ended up high and wide.
Blackman’s goal-kick following Rothwell’s effort proved to be the first period’s last act as Rovers were left the happier of the two sides, at the break.
Paul Warne would have been pleased with the spirit, fight and determination that his side had shown throughout the first period, but he would have been ruing the mistake from Angus MacDonald which Armstrong and Rovers had capitalised on. The former Millers midfielder would have been offering his side a balanced, realistic view of the game and encouraging them by saying that a win was still possible if they took the game to Rovers and let their physical presence dominate against a Rovers side who had a poor record at the AESSEAL New York Stadium, with no wins in their last three games, before today.
Tony Mowbray would have had an opposite reaction in the away dressing room as he would have been wondering how his side had not, at least, been two goals ahead. The Rovers boss would have praised his side for their continual attacking presence, but would have been critical of their lack of composure in-front of goal, with him no doubt, rattling off times where Rovers have been made to pay for their poor finishing, thus far, this season.
After both sides returned to the pitch, with Rovers stood waiting to kick-off, as they looked to add another three points to their tally in a bid to move closer towards entering the top-half of the table, Rotherham decided to make a half-time change which saw Ben Wiles replace Shaun MacDonald.
It only took two minutes for Rotherham to take on the words of their manager and push Rovers back, as Michael Smith managed to add another shot to Rotherham’s tally. A flick by Ogbene saw Smith pick the ball up from deep and drive towards the Rovers box. The target-man did well to hold off advances from Rovers, before trying his luck from the corner of the penalty area, but despite Thomas Kaminski denying Smith, had it not been for Ryan Nyambe being in the right place at the right time, the Belgian would have parried the ball straight to Ladapo for a tap-in.
In the 48th minute, Armstrong decided to turn provider as he tried to pick out Bradley Johnson at the far-post with a deep cross, yet despite the former Norwich City midfielder’s powerful header, he was denied by a fantastic save from Jamal Blackman who kept his side’s hopes of gaining something from this game, alive.
From the corner given, after Blackman’s save, Rothwell’s delivery saw Darragh Lenihan flick the ball towards goal, but Rotherham were on hand to clear before Rovers were able to sneak in at the back-post.
On the 52nd minute, Rotherham got the ball up-field and tried to pin Rovers in their own box. After Ben Wiles flicked the ball onto Ladapo, the forward’s hold-up play saw him keep the ball under his spell long enough to tee up Ryan Giles, but the midfielder again saw his shot fly wide of the mark.
A moment later, Rovers nearly doubled their lead when Adam Armstrong threaded through Ben Brereton, but the youngster couldn’t keep his finish down, despite his fine touch to control the ball and see off a retreating defender.
On the hour mark, Ladapo was again causing Rovers problems as he got on the end of Giles’ cross, but the forward again, couldn’t get his header on target.
Two minutes after Ladapo missed, Joe Rothwell tried again with a left-footed effort. After receiving the ball from Gallagher on the edge of the area, Rothwell used his pace to zip past a few Rotherham bodies, before trying to pick out the far corner, but his shot agonisingly dragged wide of the mark.
Rotherham launched a counter-attack in the 66th minute as Ogbene looked to replicate Rothwell’s effort, by looking for the far-post, but like the Rover, the Irish winger’s effort pulled wide of the far-post.
Three minutes after Ogbene’s miss, Jamie Lindsay was the second player in the game to receive a booking after he scythed Rothwell down in the middle of the park.
That proved to be Lindsay’s final involvement in the game, as he was part of a triple change by Paul Warne that happened moment after his midfielder was booked. The departing trio of Jamie Lindsay, Chiedozie Ogbene and Michael Smith were replaced by Florian Jozefzoon, Daniel Barlaser and George Hirst.
After a quiet couple of minutes, following the three changes, Rovers then made their first change of the afternoon in the 73rd minute as Sam Gallagher departed due to injury and was replaced by Tyrhys Dolan.
A minute after the changes, Rovers again found themselves with a chance at goal as Ben Brereton got on the end of Bell’s cross, but the looping header proved to be harmless for Rotherham.
In the 78th minute, Rotherham’s substitute, Daniel Barlaser was booked after he bodychecked Lewis Travis, in an off-the-ball incident.
Five minutes later, Harvey Elliott was introduced in Rovers’ second, but final change of the afternoon, as the Liverpool loanee came on in-place of Joe Rothwell.
With Rovers seemingly looking comfortable to see out the victory at 1-0, or even hit Rotherham on the break, the Millers who, despite looking as if they were about to sink to League One, were thrown a lifebuoy by referee Tony Harrington, as he awarded them a conspicuous 86th minute, after he deemed that Lenihan had fouled his counterpart, Rotherham skipper, Richard Wood, despite both players going up for a header. Middlesbrough loanee Lewis Wing stood over the free-kick, before bending it past the wall and into the bottom right-hand corner, past where Thomas Kaminski was stood, as he wheeled away in celebration of his first Rotherham goal, which had surely secured the Millers a vital point, at 1-1, in their relegation scrap.
After Rovers were shocked, they looked to hit Rotherham with an instant reply as Bell tried his luck from range, but the ball trickled kindly into the hands of Blackman.
From Blackman’s kick up-field, Rotherham managed to build play before Barlaser hoisted a ball into the box which Giles got on the end of, but the former Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder’s nod could only see Kaminski palm the ball behind for a corner.
The deep corner from Barlaser saw the ball float over the heads of everyone before landing at the feet of George Hirst who took a touch before drilling the ball down the throat of Kaminski, but the Belgian’s save proved enough to deny the substitute, as Rovers soon cleared.
In the 89th minute, Rovers looked to go and break Rotherham’s hearts as Harvey Elliott delivered a corner towards Taylor Harwood-Bellis, but the Manchester City centre-back’s header landed on the roof of the net.
Moments later, Harvey Elliott again looked to weave his magic as he picked out Armstrong with a fantastic through ball. The former Newcastle United attacker beat the offside trap before looking to beat Blackman with a first-time side-footed effort, but the Chelsea loanee’s wingspan proved crucial as he palmed the ball behind for another Rovers corner.
As Tony Harrington added on six extra minutes onto the end of the game, Elliott again delivered another corner, but this time, Darragh Lenihan’s header proved poor as it was sent behind for a goal-kick before the ball even reached the near-post.
In the second minute of added time, Rovers received another corner which came inches away from potentially killing Rotherham’s hopes of survival. Elliott near-post corner was flicked on by a Rotherham head towards the back-post where Brereton was waiting, but the forward stuck out a foot a split second too late, as the ball hit the side-netting rather than the back of it.
Rotherham decided to throw ‘the kitchen sink’ at Rovers for the last two minutes in a bid to try and win the game. In the 94th minute, Barlaser and Hirst combined again, but the latter’s header veered well wide of target.
A minute later, Barlaser’s cross from a corner fell to the head of Millers skipper – and assister of the goal – Richard Wood, yet the 35-year old’s nod trickled behind for a goal-kick.
That corner proved to be the last chance of the game, as despite a couple of free-kicks and offsides being called for in the final few moments, both sides ended the game how they started it, with a draw, with the share of the points proving more valuable for Rotherham United, than it was for Blackburn Rovers.
The final away game of the season really should have had us all, in fancy-dress dancing in the away stand, shouldn’t it? Alas, that wasn’t the case as Rovers were once again unable to make the plethora of chances, they had count, in what has sadly been the story of our season. Whilst the results on paper in terms of pure scorelines haven’t been that bad – as in we haven’t been battered every week – this season’s away form ends with six wins, five defeats and 12 losses, despite a +2 goal difference, with 28 goals scored and 26 goals conceded on the road, as Rovers sit in a preliminary 18th place in the away league table, with one game of the season left. That stat arguably highlights how fragile Rovers have been, which is arguably a given, given how young the average age of the team is, yet Saturday’s performance is arguably a bigger reason why as Rovers squanders countless perfect opportunities to put the game to bed, yet, like they have on so many occasions, they let the opposition back in, feebly.
With everything bar the relegation scrap sorted out, Rovers are now mathematically unable to secure a top-half finish, with one game left, as they sit in 15th place – and could drop as low as 19th if there’s a goal-difference swing of 29 goals on the final day(!) – with 54 points and a positive goal-difference of +8 from the 45 games they have played.
The last game remaining on Rovers’ calendar is the 12:30pm visit of Birmingham City on Saturday 8th May, as – unless there’s a major change in developments of the next three days – Ewood Park will go a whole year of football, without opening it’s doors to spectators and supporters.
