ROVERS 2

(Graham, 2) (Lenihan, 69)

LEEDS 1

(Klich, 45)

Rovers got back to winning ways at Ewood Park with an impressive performance in a win over Leeds United.

Darragh Lenihan headed in the winner with just over 20 minutes to play after Danny Graham had handed them a second minute lead.

Mat Klich had hauled Leeds level with the last kick of the first half, and would have snatched a point for his side were it not for a fine David Raya save.

But Rovers were full value for the victory that temporarily moves them in to the top six of the Championship.

The win, a second at Ewood Park this season, required every ounce of physical output from the outfield players, and substitutes, to see the game out.

Tony Mowbray made four changes, as Amari’i Bell, Richie Smallwood, Corry Evans and Adam Armstrong all returned.

The players were greeted to an excellent atmosphere as they made their way on to the pitch.
Armstrong was a the fore of everything good about Rovers from the first whistle, but it was from a set play they would take the lead. Harrison Reed swung over a right wing corner on to the head of Graham who planed his header in to the top corner.

Leeds were slick in their passing, taking a patient approach when playing out from the back, meaning Rovers had to be switched on at all times. Their first chance came from the left, with Kemar Roofe turning a Ezgjan Alioski wide of the near post.

But Armstrong continued to be a real menace for Leeds, forcing them in to two excellent blocks to deny goalbound shots before David Raya was called in to action in an open encounter.

Samu Saiz took aim from 25 yards, with Raya turning his effort over, before watching a Pontus Jansson header from the resulting corner fail to trouble him.

The game was still only 12 minutes old when more good play down the left from Armstrong saw the ball makes it way to Bradley Dack at the far post, whose touch took him away from his marker, only to be denied by the sprawling Bailey Peacock-Farrell.

Given Leeds’ style, Rovers were having to stay concentrated at all times out of possession as the game ticked behind the midway point of the first half.

As Rovers pressed high, Peacock-Farrell’s poor kick was intercepted by Dack, who, full of confidence, tried to catch the keeper out from 25 yards, only to drag his shot wide.

The game had settled down after a frantic opening, with Rovers working tirelessly out of possession, but carrying a threat when going forward.

But it was Leeds who would go close 10 minutes before the break, as after clearing a corner, Stuart Dallas flashed a shot wide of Raya’s right-hand post from the edge of the area.

Rovers’ main threat was coming down the flanks, with Reed having an excellent game on the right, and Armstrong an impact every time he got the ball. And he almost doubled Rovers’ lead when controlling a crossfield ball from Bennett on the left edge of the box, before skipping inside Gaetano Berardi, only to see his curling effort land on the roof of the net in the 43rd minute.

One additional minute was indicated by the fourth official, and it was then that Leeds equalised. It was particularly well worked, and from their best move of the match. Saiz clipped a ball to the far post where Berardi cushioned his cross in to the path of the onrushing Mat Klich who had the easy job of firing home from three yards out.

There was no time to kick-off before the referee signalled the end of a pulsating half.

Both sides emerged for the second half unchanged, with Leeds kicking towards a Darwen End which housed over 7,700 of their fans.

The team, and supporters, were buoyed by that late goal, but it was Rovers who threatened a second goal 11 minutes after the re-start. Berardi, under pressure from Armstrong, couldn’t cushion his header back to his keeper, with Armstrong nipping in, but from a tight angle, he couldn’t force it behind the keeper.

Smallwood, cautioned moments before for pulling back Saiz was replaced by Jack Rodwell as Mowbray freshened things up in the middle of the pitch.

Leeds were managing to get in to more dangerous areas in the second half than they had in the first half, but couldn’t find the quality which had brought them level.

Mowbray then mixed things up in attack, as Ben Brereton replaced Graham just after the hour mark as Dack became the central striker.

Rovers’ third substation was forced upon, as Craig Conway replaced the injured Harrison Reed. Conway’s first involvement was to swing in a corner which was attacked by Darragh Lenihan as he planted his header in to the bottom corner.

Conway then whipped in a 76th minute free-kick which saw Dack attack at the near post, only to guide it wide of the near post.

There was defending to do shortly afterwards though as Jack Clarke, on a sub, drove at the Rovers defence after Rodwell had given the ball away, with his shot deflected over the bar.

But Armstrong continued to terrorise Berardi, standing up the Leeds man before ghosting past him on the outside and his shot aimed towards the far post was kept out by the boot of Peacock-Farrell.

While Rovers were looking to play on the counter, Leeds continued to push bodies forward. Pablo Hernandez and Saiz linked well to get the latter in on goal, with Mulgrew well placed to block his shot.

Rovers were beginning to tire though, as the work that had put in started to show. Leeds were twice first to the bouncing ball as Berardi blasted over from the edge of the area.

There was no shortage of quality on the strike of Alioski though in the 84th minute after being found by Hernandez, nor the save from Raya who clawed it out of the top corner with a fine one-handed save.

Bell then was then forced to put in an excellent clearance to keep a dangerous Alioski clearance out of danger as Rovers were opened up on their left.

Five added minutes were announced after referee Darren England waved away penalty claims for handball against Bennett as Rovers began to sit deeper.

Three minutes in to that, Leeds worked an opening for Jack Clarke, but under pressure, Raya showed good handling to cling on.

Rovers: Raya, Bennett, Lenihan, Mulgrew, Bell, Smallwood (Rodwell, 57), Evans (Conway, 68), Reed, Dack, Armstrong, Graham (Brereton, 61)

Subs: Leutwiler, Williams, Rothwell, Palmer

Leeds: Peacock-Farrell, Berardi (Shackleton, 85), Cooper, Jansson, Dallas (Clarke, 75), Alioski, Phillips, Klich, Saiz, Roofe (Hernandez, 70), Roberts

Subs: Blackman, Forshaw, Pearce, Baker