ROVERS 3

(Dack, 38) (Graham, 58) (Conway, 90)

PORTSMOUTH 0

ROVERS moved back in to the top six of League One after an impressive 3-0 win over Portsmouth at Ewood Park.

Bradley Dack had Rovers infront in the first half before Danny Graham and Craig Conway wrapped things up in the second half.

The one disappointment was a late red card for Dominic Samuel that couldn't deny Rovers ending a disappointing week on a high note.

Rovers made two changes for the visit of Pompey, with Paul Downing returning in central defence and Harry Chapman coming in for his first league start.

Paul Caddis dropped to the bench, with Ryan Nyambe switching to right-back, while Marcus Antonsson was also among the substitutes.

Rovers’early possession failed to bring with it a clear sight of goal in what were particulalry blustery conditions.

Indeed, neither side had troubled the opposition goalkeeeper in the opening 20 minutes. 

Though Rovers did threaten when Danny Graham and Bradley Dack linked up well, but the latter could quite wrap his foot round his shot enough as it flew past the far post from the edge of the box.

And the pair would combine again seven minutes later when Rovers were denied by the bar.  Good play from Richie Smallwood set Dack away, and after Luke McGee had denied him, Graham could only hit the bar with the follow-up.

That came during Rovers’ best spell of the opening half an hour as Smallwood saw a dipping 25-yard drive tipped away Luke McGee.

David Raya had to be alert though to preserve his clean sheet, as when Rovers switched off when a cross came in from the right, the Spaniard had to move away to his right to palm a Kyle Bennett volley behind for a corner.

Seven minutes before the break though, Rovers would break the deadlock. It owed much to the persistence, and quality, of Chapman who did well initially to win the ball back just inside the Pompey half.  He drove towards goal before sliding it through to Bradley Dack who rifled the ball in to the roof of the net for his second goal of the week.

It was deserved on the balance of play, with Rovers enjoying the better of the territory as they took their lead in to the half-time break.

They looked to press on in the second half, although a failure to pick the right ball in the final third when space opened up for them saw several good opportunities wasted.

Charlie Mulgrew did see a firmly struck free-kick beaten away by McGee in the 54th minut, while at the other end Olie Hawkins headed a Matty Kennedy delivery well over the bar.

But having failed to find a second goal in so many of their matches this season, Graham made it 2-0 just before the hour.  Collecting a pass from Derrick Williams on the edge of the box, he was given time to pick his spot as he stroked the ball confidently in to the corner.

Pompey, in need of a response, did go close shortly afterwards, with Kyle Bennett taking aim from 25 yards after a short free-kick was played to him, but his effort was just wide of the target.

The visitors made a double change, sending on two forwards, while Rovers brought on Craig Conway for Chapman.

With 20 minutes to play Rovers almost had a third, only for Peter Whittingham’s strike to just flash wide of the post with McGee rooted to the spot.

While the visitors were enjoying more territory, their crossing in to the box was particularly disappointing as the conditions began to really take effect on the game in the late stages.

Rovers tried hard for a third, as Conway drove through the rain before sliding it through for fellow substitute Dominic Samuel, though his effort across goal never really threatened.

That would be Samuel’s last action however, as after a tangle with Christian Burgess as the pair chased down a loose ball, the striker was shown a straight red card by referee Christopher Kavanagh.

But it was Rovers who would extend their lead before the end, Craig Conway winning the race for the loose ball and having the calmness to lift the ball over the advancing goalkeeper to wrap up a satisfactory afternoon for Tony Mowbray’s men.