It was a five-star performance at Ewood Park as a Ben Brereton Díaz hattrick helped Rovers hit their biggest victory of the season, as Cardiff City were easily brushed aside by a 5-1 scoreline at a jubilant Ewood Park.
Following on from Rovers’ 0-0 draw away at Barnsley last week, Tony Mowbray made one change, as Sam Gallagher returned to the side, after recovering from injury. There were two milestones within the camp for this fixture as Ben Brereton Díaz was set to make his 50th league start for Rovers, whilst Tyrhys Dolan was also set to hit 50 Rovers games in the famous Blue and White halves.
With Ewood Park buzzing for the return of Rovers, it was Ewood Park side who prepared themselves for the kick-off as referee Keith Stroud got the game underway at 3pm. The home team were looking to make it back-to-back home victories, following last week’s 2-0 home win against Hull City.
Rovers started quickly as within the first two minutes, they found themselves having an attempt at goal. Tyrhys Dolan and Harry Pickering combined with the former teeing up the latter, whose shot of blocked, with the rebound falling to Sam Gallagher. The returning forward tried his luck with an acrobatic effort, but his attempt flew over the bar.
A few minutes later, Ben Brereton Díaz tried his luck from range, but his attempt was well saved by Dillion Phillips in the Cardiff goal.
Cardiff’s threat from set-pieces emerged in the 7th minute when a corner came in which was met by the head of Aden Flint, but saved by Thomas Kaminski. Although the Belgian stopped the nod, he couldn’t hold onto the attempt as Sean Morrison’s headed attempt was cleared off the line by the well-placed Ryan Nyambe who bailed out his side.
Flint wasn’t too far from the action a minute later as he received a booking after hauling down John Buckley on the counter-attack.
Sam Gallagher was proving to be lively in this encounter, particularly on the counter, as in the 13th minute, he stormed down the wing, but his eventual effort failed to test Phillips in the Cardiff goal.
Rovers managed to break the deadlock in the 23rd minute through Sam Gallagher, courtesy of a fine pass by John Buckley from the middle of the park. The young midfielder picked the ball up and played a fine lofted through ball into the path of Gallagher who brought it down brilliantly. The forward’s movement and pace was sublime as he stayed onside and broke away from the disorganised Cardiff defence, before he coolly slotted past the helpless Phillips to put Rovers 1-0 up.
Rovers nearly made it two on the 31st minute mark as Daniel Ayala rose highest to meet a Rovers corner but saw his effort crash back off the crossbar.
A minute later, Rovers did manage to get a second as Ben Brereton Díaz grabbed his fifth goal of the league season to double Rovers’ lead to 2-0. Tyrhys Dolan was starring on the right as he jinked past a few Cardiff defenders before delivering a fine early cross into the path of the Chilean forward who dispatched the ball perfectly on the volley to make it two.
Moments later, it was nearly three, as Gallagher tried to build on his first with a strike from outside the box, but it veered just wide.
It was all Rovers in the first period, and it should have really been 3-0 in the 41st minute as a trademark Joe Rothwell run saw him open up a shooting opportunity for Brereton Díaz, but the forward’s effort was blocked by the Cardiff defence who were on the line.
As the 45th minute ticked over, referee Keith Stroud added on three extra minutes onto the end of the first period.
Those three extra minutes weren’t going to halt Ben Brereton Díaz however, as the Chilean managed to extend Rovers’ lead to 3-0 on the stroke of the break with a very unorthodox goal. Brereton Díaz burst down the left-hand side with his pace and almost played a one-two off Phillips via a nutmeg before forcing the ball over the line.
That proved to be the last act of the half as the whistle was blown soon after the kick-off was taken.
Tony Mowbray, in the home dressing room, would have been over the moon with how his side had performed during the opening 45 minutes of the tie, especially given how easily they had carved open the Cardiff backline. The Rovers boss would have been quick to remind his side of Cardiff’s potency in the second-half, with all of their goals so far this season, coming between minutes 46 and 90 and he would have been calling for concentration.
Mick McCarthy would have been fuming in the visiting dressing room as his side had put in a performance that cannot usually be associated with a Mick McCarthy side. With the team, who is usually strong defensively, breached, the former Wolverhampton Wanderers manager would have been hatching a gameplan in order to try and get his side back into the tie. He would have been reminding his side of their attacking obligations and pointing out Rovers’ tie against Luton Town where Rovers let a two-goal lead slip, courtesy of balls into the box.
The second-half was soon resumed by the visitors, but not before a double change from Cardiff City, which saw Ryan Giles and Mark Harris come on to replace Perry Ng and Will Vaulks.
Rovers took less than 10 minutes to extend their lead further as they grabbed a fourth in the 53rd minute. Ben Brereton Díaz hit a perfect cross-field ball into the path of Sam Gallagher who leapt high enough in order to knock the ball down to an unmarked Tyrhys Dolan who poked the ball past Dillon Phillips to make it 4-0.
In the 56th minute, Rovers made their first change of the game as Hayden Carter replaced Darragh Lenihan.
Two minutes after Lenihan’s departure, the clean sheet followed him as Cardiff got their customary second-half set-piece goal through their captain, Sean Morrison who latched onto the end of Ryan Giles’ cross to grab one back for the visitors.
Rovers’ second change of the game came in the 65th minute as Reda Khadra came on to replace Tyrhys Dolan who had run himself into the ground.
Cardiff’s momentum was halted in its tracks in the 68th minute as Thomas Kaminski produced a fine save to deny Kadeem Harris, Cardiff’s second of the game and what would have been a clear route back into the tie.
Cardiff’s defender Joel Bagan saw frustrations get the better of him as he tried his luck from range, but ultimately wasted the effort as the ball ballooned over the bar.
In the 80th minute, Cardiff moved to make their final change as James Colliuns came on for Rubin Colwill.
Two minutes later, Rovers made their own final change as Tayo Edun came on for his home debut in-place of Joe Rothwell.
Ben Brereton Díaz seemed determined for his hattrick as he picked the ball up on the right-hand side and burst into the box, but his venomous shot from a tight angle was well parried behind by Phillips.
That hattrick soon came just two minutes later as Rovers won a penalty after Reda Khadra was chopped down by Dillon Phillips in the penalty area. After referee Keith Stroud pointed to the spot without hesitation, Ben Brereton Díaz picked the ball up and composed himself in order to secure his first career hattrick, as he sent Phillips the wrong way to round off a fine afternoon for Rovers.
That proved to be the last of the actions as Keith Stroud soon brought the game to a conclusion a few minutes later, as Ewood Park burst into a joyous cheer.
It was a delightful display on a fine afternoon at Ewood Park and the team certainly gave the fans their money’s worth. Although all of the plaudits will undoubtedly fall for everyone’s favourite Chilean, the whole team should come in for praise, with the performances of Tyrhys Dolan and Sam Gallagher being highlighted for praise, in particular. The trio’s work-rate at the top end of the pitch was fantastic and whilst no player in a Rovers shirt can be critiqued for today’s performance, the attacking trio deserve to be praised for goalscoring exploits and Rovers will be high in confidence prior to their trip to Yorkshire next week.
With smiles on the faces of all in Blackburn after that audacious victory, Rovers still find themselves 6th in the table, occupying the final playoff spot, but sit three points clear of Huddersfield Town in 7th, who they face in their next fixture. Mowbray’s men, after nine games, hold 16 points and have improved their positive goal-difference to +7.
As mentioned, Rovers’ next game sees them travel to Yorkshire to face Huddersfield Town on Tuesday 28th September at 7:45pm. Following that tie, Rovers are again on the road, but this time to the seaside as they face Blackpool on Saturday 2nd October at 3pm. Following those road trips, the side return to Ewood Park, following the season’s second international break, as they host Coventry City on Saturday 16th October at 3pm.
