Rovers continued their fine form as they proved that they could do the business on a cold Saturday afternoon in Stoke, as Tony Mowbray’s young side laid down a marker to the rest of the Championship by grabbing a victory to move them into the playoff places.
Following Rovers’ 4-0 thumping over Peterborough United on Wednesday, Tony Mowbray was forced to make two changes to his starting-line up, as he and his Rovers team travelled to the Potteries. Jan Paul van Hecke returned from his three-match suspension to fill in between skipper Darragh Lenihan and Scott Wharton, whilst Reda Khadra partnered Ben Brereton Díaz up top, after Tyrhys Dolan – who was on the bench – was not deemed fit enough to start the game. Additionally, the matchday squad was compiled of six academy graduates, in Ryan Nyambe, Scott Wharton, Darragh Lenihan, John Buckley and Lewis Travis, whilst the bench housed another academy graduate in Danny Butterworth. Fresh off of his brace in midweek, Ben Brereton Díaz was set to chalk up 100 Rovers league appearances in his hometown.
With both sides readying for action on a cold Saturday afternoon in Stoke, referee Tim Robinson’s whilst saw proceedings get underway as Rovers took the kick-off hoping to build on Wednesday night’s result with another three points that would see them leapfrog their hosts and move into the playoff places.
The first 10 minutes weren’t very exciting as the only chance of the game was a half-chance as a quick Stoke free-kick saw Tyrese Campbell played through, but despite his snapshot veered wide of Thomas Kaminski’s far-post.
The 12th minute saw Ben Brereton Díaz played through with a fantastic ball from Scott Wharton. The defender’s pinpoint over-the-top through ball landed perfectly for the Chilean who tried to chip the on-rushing ‘keeper, Adam Davies, but his effort drifted wide of the mark.
A minute later, Joe Rothwell got himself on the ball and tried his luck from range but couldn’t keep it down.
It was all Rovers inside the opening 20 minutes as Reda Khadra picked the ball up, drove into the box and tried to cross the ball towards the back-post. Despite Brereton Díaz lurking just near Khadra, the loanee picked out Ryan Nyambe at the back-post, but he couldn’t get off the ground as the ball bounced behind off his head.
Moments later, Tyrese Campbell held the ball up and laid it off for Josh Tymon to strike from distance, but the left-back – who signed a new deal with the Potters yesterday – couldn’t find the target.
In the 23rd minute, Mario Vrančić tried to put Stoke ahead from distance, but could only force a save from Thomas Kaminski, who calmly kept hold of the ball.
With 28 minutes gone, Joe Rothwell once again picked up the ball in midfield and used his pace to drive at Stoke’s back-three, but the former Oxford United midfielder, couldn’t curl his outside of the box effort enough to test Davies, as the ball drifted wide of the right-hand post.
A half-chance came for Stoke in the 38th minute as a Danny Batth cross into the box saw Jacob Brown connect with the delivery as he fought with van Hecke, but the nod failed to trouble Rovers, as the ball looped up into the air and was plucked out sky by Kaminski.
Rovers created the best opportunity of the game thus far, in the 44th minute as Rovers picked the ball up in midfield as John Buckley regained possession and found Joe Rothwell who drove forwards. The midfielder had the presence of mind and vision to pick out the overlapping Harry Pickering who delivered an inviting cross across the face of goal, but Brereton Díaz couldn’t throw himself at the delivery as it fell to the feet of Nyambe, who won Rovers a corner which they failed to capitalise on.
As the 45th minute ticked over, one minute of time was called for by referee Tim Robinson. Following the allocated minute, boos rung round the bet365 Stadium, as the official denied Stoke a corner by calling for the break, which upset a lot of the home contingency.
Regardless of the corner controversy, Michael O’Neill wouldn’t have been pleased with how his side had operated inside the opening 45 minutes. Despite looking solid defensively, there seemed to be a chasm between their midfield and forward line, with the players lacking any interplay, as strikers Jacob Brown and Tyrese Campbell were isolated against Rovers’ back-three.
Tony Mowbray, however, would have been quite happy with how his side had played as they excelled in every department, bar the finishing one. Rovers had dealt with any half-threats that Stoke had thrown at them, mainly thanks to the solidity of the back-three and Thomas Kaminski, between the posts. The Rovers boss will be looking to breath confidence into his side, at the break, in the hope that they come out and put a depleted Stoke City side, to the sword.
Following the half-time break, both sides returned to the playing surface, unchanged from the first-half. It was Stoke who got the second period underway, as they looked to overcome the odds and move clear of Rovers in the table, despite their threadbare squad.
In the 50th minute, Romaine Sawyers picked up the ball from deep and tried his luck as he forced Thomas Kaminski into conceding a corner, with a hand down to his near-post.
The subsequent corner saw Rovers struggle to clear, as after half-clearing a corner, Mario Vrančić cut inside onto his left-foot and rifled one from the top of the box which deflected behind off a Rovers man, yet referee Tim Robinson thought otherwise as he gave Rovers a goal-kick.
Rovers managed to make that decision count as their dominance soon paid off as they took a 1-0 lead in the 52nd minute. Mowbray’s men worked the ball up the field from Kaminski’s goal-kick before the ball was brought down and picked up by Reda Khadra who did well to drive forwards before dropping his shoulder and striking from range. His shot caught ‘keeper Adam Davies out as the Brighton and Hove Albion loanee saw his effort nestle into the bottom left-hand corner of the goal, before wheeling away in celebration of his second career goal as the 1,614 Rovers fans went wild behind the goal.
In the 56th minute, Rovers were forced to make their first change of the game as Thomas Kaminski went down with an injury, he picked up from saving Sawyers’ effort before the goal. The Belgian was unable to continue, despite walking off the pitch and was replaced by Aynsley Pears for his first appearance of the season for the first-team.
On the hour-mark, Jacob Brown was booked for fouling Ben Brereton Díaz on the counter-attack. From the free-kick, Rothwell’s deep delivery found the unmarked Darragh Lenihan at the back-post, but the skipper’s half-volley flew across the goal-mouth and just needed a touch to make it two, but nobody in yellow connected with the ball.
After 66 minutes, Stoke made a double change as Steven Fletcher and Tom Ince came on for Jacob Brown and Morgan Fox.
Two minutes later, Rovers made their second change of the game as Tyrhys Dolan replaced Reda Khadra.
Rovers’ final switch came in the 73rd minute as Jacob Davenport replaced Joe Rothwell.
Minutes after the change, Tim Robinson got his cards out as Tyrhys Dolan and Adam Davies were booked for their part in some handbags. Moments later James Chester was also booked for taking down Dolan via a tackle.
Stoke’s final change came in the 78th minute as the booked James Chester departed, with Alfie Doughty replacing him.
Ryan Nyambe became the latest man in Yellow to be booked, as he took his time over an 80th minute throw-in.
In the 85th minute, Tyrhys Dolan worked an angle for a chance at goal, but his curling effort from the top of the box cleared the crossbar.
Three minutes later, Ben Brereton Díaz came close to putting the cherry on top of the cake and sealing the victory, but a fine save from Davies denied his chance of grabbing a 17th of the season.
In the 89th minute, the cards came back out as Harry Pickering was booked for time-wasting, whilst moments later, a hard challenge by Ben Wilmot on John Buckley saw him also carded.
After 7 minutes of added time was allocated by referee Tim Robinson, the match official booked Ben Brereton Díaz for fouling Steven Fletcher.
The final chance of the game came in the 93rd minute as Stoke came agonisingly close to drawing level at the death. A cross from Josh Tymon saw Aynsley Pears believe he could come out and claim the loose ball but was wrong-footed and left in no-man’s land by Danny Batth’s header which caught the goalie off-guard. Somehow, he managed to show off his brilliant reflexes to latch onto the ball and push it behind for a corner as Batth was denied what looked like a certain goal.
As Stoke continued their onslaught, Rovers continued to stand firm as they continually cleared the ball and survived the pressure the home side put them under to secure the three points.
That was an outstanding display by Rovers that deserved all the plaudits that they get over the next week. Tony Mowbray’s side came to the bet365 and put in a hard-working, committed and clinical performance at both ends to get the better of an out-of-sorts Stoke City side who, like Rovers, were eyeing up a week in the playoff places, pre-match. The young side – whose average age was 23.6 years of age – must be commended for their professional and mature display in turning over a Stoke City side full of experienced heads. Another commendation must be given to Aynsley Pears, who literally came in from the cold, to not only keep Rovers in the game, but to also keep their second clean-sheet of the afternoon, after Thomas Kaminski’s departure.
Although every single one of those players deserve individual praise, we’ll be here all night if that was the case! Moving onto the league table and those of a nervous disposition or those who don’t like heights might want to look away now. Following that fine victory, Rovers are sat 4th in the division – (Yes, really! FOURTH!) – after 20 games with a positive goal-difference of +7 and 33 points to their name.
As Rovers move into December, they will be looking to extend their unbeaten run in their next game, which is next Saturday (4th) against local rivals Preston North end, who come to Ewood Park for the 3pm kick-off. After that, Rovers are back on the road as they travel to promotion-favourites Bournemouth on Saturday 11th December for another 3pm kick-off. Following that game, Rovers are back on home soil as they welcome Birmingham City at 3pm on Saturday 18th December as the Christmas fixture pile-up enters full swing.
