FLEETWOOD TOWN 1

(McAleny, 56)

BLACKBURN ROVERS 2

(Dack, 28) (Smallwood, 84)

A LATE Richie Smallwood piledriver saw Rovers make it 16 games unbeaten to help move them in to the League One automatic promotion spots for the first time this season.

Bradley Dack had Rovers ahead in a first half in which Rovers thoroughly dominated.

They were pegged back by Connor McAleny's equaliser 11 minutes in to the second half after a mistake from Charlie Mulgrew.

But the game was settled by a stunning Smallwood strike from distance which secured great scenes in the away end.  

The game wasn’t two minutes old before Rovers had an excellent chance to open the scoring. Bradley Dack slipped in Dominic Samuel but he opted to try and beat the ‘keeper at his near post rather than drill it across him and could only find the side netting.

It was a dominant start from Rovers who saw plenty of the ball, but only good tracking from Ryan Nyame 10 minutes in stopped Devate Cole breaking on to Paddy Madden’s throgh ball.

Samuel continued to be on the look out for a goal and saw a shot blocked after a good forward break from Nyambe.

While it had been a strong start from Rovers the hosts did force a shot on target in the 12th minute, though Madden’s 30 yard drive was comfortable for David Raya.

The pressure continued to come from the visitors though as Tony Mowbray saw his side continue their impressive start. The linesman’s flag denied them an opener in the 18th minute as Dack headed home a Craig Conway cross at the far post, only to have strayed beyond the last man.

After the flag had come to Fleetwood’s rescue to deny Dack, it was the crossbar that saved them moments later. Derrick Williams won a Chalrie Mulgrew corner at the far post, only for his header to come back off the bar.

And before the quarter mark was reached, Danny Graham had his first sight of goal, heading a Richie Smallwood cross goalwards, only for Chris Neal to tip it around the post.

Finally the breakthrough did come and it was no more than Rovers deserved. With his 11th of the season, on his 150th career league start, Dack was the scorer as he ran on to a knockdown from Graham to fire beyond Neal.

Fleetwood weren’t posing too many problems, but their biggest threat was always going to come from set plays. Skipper Cian Bolger, a giant of a figure, got his head to a Kyle Dempsey free-kick, only to see it land on the roof of the net.

Only the referee can know why he didn’t award Rovers a spot-kick as Samuel was felled in the box by Gethin Jones after collecting a wonderful Mulgrew cross-field pass.

Williams rose highest to meet a Dack corner eight minutes before the break as it continued to be Rovers with the better of the play.

Rovers’ quest for a second goal almost got a helping hand when Bolger sliced Nyambe’s clearance beyond his own goalkeeper, but his blushes were spared as it flashed past the post.

Uwe Rosler made a double change at the break in a bid to stir his side in to life but it was Rovers who went close to the game’s second goal. Smallwood nicked possession and fed Graham, whose shot went underneath Neal, only to come back off the post and out of reach of Dack.

Fleetwood had threatened shortly before that, with Raya denying Madden with a flying save from six yards out, only for him to be flagged offside as he turned a Jones shot goalwards.

As Charlie Mulgrew stood over a 53rd minute free-kick there was anticipating among the away end, but Neal was well placed to save down low from his 30 yard effort.

But the skipper woul dbe at fault as Fleetwood found a way back in to the match from nowehere. There looked little danger as Mulgrew tried to find his goalkeeper with the backpass, but underhit and off line it allowed McAleny the chance to nip in before Raya and roll the ball in to the empty net.

That gave the hosts a lift, Paddy Madden nodding a Lewis Coyle cross wide as the home supporters finally had something to get behind.

It was much more even game, with Rovers unbale to regain their fluency in the final third. George Glendon hit a free-kick striaght at Raya before firing wide of the target from range as both sides made changes to try and force the issue.

For Rovers they sent on Jack Payne for his debut to try and be the spark in the final third that had evaded them.

But it was the hosts who continued to fire their shots off, Madden blasting just wide after the ball fell kindly to him.

Rovers had made all their attacking changes as Joe Nuttall was sent on, but it  was an unlikely source who was to put them ahead with six minutes remaining. Payne teed up Smallwood who didn’t fancy taking on a left foot shot, but did on his right as he blasted the ball in from 25 yards.

Fleetwood sent the giant Bolger up front for the five additional minutes which were signalled. But they passed without incident as Rovers saw the game out.