CONTRASTING HALVES

THERE was no arguing with Paul Lambert’s post-match assertion that the first 45 minutes were the best of his Rovers reign. Positive with the ball and aggressive without it, they would have taken a thoroughly deserved lead into half-time with a little more guile and better finishing.

However Rovers were unable to maintain the fast tempo after the restart and, having been the more vibrant side before the break, long before the final whistle they looked out on their feet. The two days off they have been granted this week will do them good.

That said they still wasted the best opportunity of a largely uneventful second half when Fode Koita headed straight at Dorus De Vries.

 

JASON STEELE

BUT let’s not forget that Rovers would have lost it at the death had it not been for their goalkeeper.

The fantastic form of centre-backs Grant Hanley and Shane Duffy has been rightly hailed but last night it was Jason Steele who stole the show. His magnificent injury-time save from Matt Mills ensured he made it three clean sheets in succession and eight in total for the campaign – all of which have come in the 16 games since his recall.

Steele had every reason to feel hard done after he was dropped for David Raya at the start of the campaign. But his response has been excellent and, having already achieved more shutouts than he did in the whole of last season, he is now very much Rovers’ number one.

Lancashire Telegraph:

 

FRONT TWO

FODE Koita may have missed the chance of the match but he could be pleased with his overall contribution on what was his first start under Paul Lambert.

In the first half, in particular, Koita’s surprise inclusion benefited Jordan Rhodes who, with someone to share the physical burden, had two good openings, one which was taken off his toes and the other which he headed narrowly wide. But after that he barely had a sniff and, like so many of his team-mates, by the end he was running on empty.

Rovers need to find a way to fashion more opportunities for the best out-and-out goalscorer in the Championship who has now gone four games without hitting the back of the net.