Blackburn Rovers vs Luton Town FC (28th Sep 2019)

BLACKBURN ROVERS 1 LUTON TOWN 2

50-up for Collins and Pearson bags the winner at his old club

James Collins grabbed his 50th goal for Luton and Matty Pearson the winner on his return to his old club as the Hatters brought all three points back from Blackburn Rovers.

Collins opened the scoring with his fifth goal of the season, before Pearson - who started his career at Ewood Park before dropping into Non-League seven years ago - restored the lead just before the hour after Lewis Travis had hauled the tenth-places hosts level towards the end of the first half.

It required a backs-to-the-wall performance at times in the second half, which included Rovers having a Bradley Dack tap-in ruled out for offside.

But Graeme Jones' men dug in to bring a run of three league and cup defeats to an end with a second away win in the Championship this season, and third overall, to jump to 16th in the table.

Jones made three changes to the side that went down 3-0 at home to Hull City last weekend, as Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu, Jacob Butterfield and Dan Potts came in for Andrew Shinnie, Kazenga LuaLua and Luke Bolton.

Callum McManaman and Luke Berry were recalled to the bench, with George Moncur and Shinnie dropping out of the 18-man squad altogether, the latter with a knee injury.

Blackburn had made all of the early running, with captain Sonny Bradley heading several dangerous-looking crosses away from his own six-yard box as former England winger Stewart Downing and Adam Armstrong tested the back four.

It was against the run of play when the Town grabbed the lead in the 17th minute, but it came courtesy of a brilliant first touch and cross from Izzy Brown on the right of the Rovers penalty area, picking out top scorer Collins to place his header past ex-Hatters loanee Christian Walton and into the top corner.

The goal brought up a milestone for the Republic of Ireland striker, with his half-century for the club coming in his 102nd game, and his 30th in 48 appearances since opening his account for last season with his goal against Charlton on September 29th last year.

Town started to get the ball down and play some lovely possession football, Butterfield pulling the strings with Mpanzu and Tunnicliffe either side of him and Collins and Cornick posing a threat from wide areas. Brown was through the middle, looking for any opportunity to create.

The hosts' first attempt on goal didn't come until the 35th minute, but Simon Sluga could breathe a sigh of relief as Bradley Johnson dragged his shot well wide.

Two minutes later it was a different story, however, as Downing fed Travis from the right flank and the Rovers midfielder took one touch before firing across Sluga and into the far corner from the edge of the box.

James Bree, back in his more natural right-back position after impressing on the left since his arrival on loan from Aston Villa, did well to head a deep cross behind under pressure from Sam Gallagher as half-time approached.

Cornick was the first to have a go in the second half, eight minutes after the break, as the Hatters broke at pace from their own box, Butterfield intercepting a low cross and feeding Tunnicliffe, who picked out Brown to slip Cornick in on the right side of the Rovers penalty area. Walton was equal to this one though, turning the three-goal forward's powerful drive around his near post.

The Town were back in front in the 57th minute, however, and how Pearson enjoyed his moment against the club who released him as a teenager.

Cornick was fouled on the right and Brown curled in a free-kick from deep. Pearson, whose journey has taken him to FC Halifax, Accrington and Barnsley before arriving back at the same level as his boyhood club, rose high above his marker Darragh Lenihan to direct his header into the bottom corner, before sprinting to the Town technical area to celebrate.

Rovers rallied immediately. Downing bent a 20-yard free-kick around the wall, but thankfully the wrong side of the post, after manager Tony Mowbray made a double substitution, bringing former Tottenham and Hamburg midfielder Lewis Holtby, the German international, on for Johnson, and vastly experienced striker Danny Graham for Gallagher.

Graham was soon calling Sluga into action with a smart save low to his right as a volley skidded through on the rain-soaked surface, then Holtby pulled a left-footed shot into the side-netting with a little over 20 minutes to go.

Blackburn were knocking at the door, but Armstrong couldn't keep his left-footed drive down when Derek Williams had played him in over Pearson's head, then Potts did well to divert a deep cross from Downing behind under pressure from Graham.

McManaman, who had been introduced for the excellent Brown, produced a stinging shot that Walton had to beat away in the 74th minute, with Mpanzu unable to capitalise on the rebound, then Butterfield prodced a vital challenge in his own area before Bradley Dack hit a shot high over Sluga's bar.

Soon after Bradley and Potts had put their bodies on the line to block a Dack drive, Rovers had a goal ruled out with 12 minutes to go as Williams climbed highest to meet a right-wing corner, but Dack was in an offside position as he turned the ball home from two yards out.

It took a while for referee Gavin Ward to make the decision, but after consultation with his assistant on the near side, the Town fans behind the goal breathed a huge sigh of relief and with Lloyd Jones thrown on in the closing stages to stiffen up the backline, their team managed the final few minutes brilliantly.

Now it's back to Kenilworth Road on Wednesday night for the live Sky clash against a Millwall team sitting one place below the Town in 17th, but on the same points total of ten.

TOWN: Sluga, Bree, Pearson, Bradley (c), Potts, Butterfield (Berry 83), Tunnicliffe, Mpanzu, Cornick (Jones 86), Brown (McManaman 71), Collins. Subs: Lee, Bolton, LuaLua, Jones, Shea.

Goals: Collins 17, Pearson 57

Yellows: Butterfield, Potts

ROVERS: Walton, Bennett (c) (Samuel 81), Lenihan, Williams, Cunnigham, Downing, Travis, Johnson (Holtby 61), Armstrong, Gallagher (Graham 61), Dack. Subs: Leutwiler (GK), Bell, Adarabioyo, Buckley.

Goals: Travis 37

Yellows: Travis

REFEREE: Gavin Ward

ATT: 15,319 (1,326 Hatters)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKrbOVZhjtA – Graeme Jones interview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVdVJ9jh_RM – match highlights

GRAEME JONES ON THE WIN OVER BLACKBURN ROVERS

Town manager Graeme Jones felt there were ‘lots of satisfying things’ in his side’s performance as they won 2-1 at Blackburn Rovers this afternoon.

The Hatters move up to 16th in the second tier table, with goals from James Collins and Matty Pearson either side of a Lewis Travis equaliser helping the Town secure victory.

“Irrespective of the result, we needed to be competitive,” Jones explained. “I think the last seven minutes against Hull damaged us, because it’s not a way to lose a football match. Leicester was a one-off occasion really. But on Thursday I was brutally honest with the boys, I asked for the same mental and physical consistency during the game, no matter what the scoreline is, and I told them if we get that, then we will win the game. And we played in a different way today, we used bits of the Leicester game to help us and we showed great character and came out 2-1 winners.

“Nobody knows in a job how it’s going to go, the only thing I answer to is my own conscience. So I give everything I have got, I try and look into every single detail and I like to think I am well prepped with decisions I have got to make, I believe football make them decisions.

“For instance, Callum McManaman played really well on Tuesday night, he gave us a level, he comes on [today] and contributes. Izzy Brown changed his position and his quality is undeniable. So there were many, many satisfying things.

“I thought Pelly-Ruddock came in and gave an exceptional level, the character that he is. Again, a boy who is finding out about the Championship level, but today I think he arrived – he was himself which is all you can ask for. Lots of satisfying things, but we will enjoy tonight and then we have got to plan for Millwall, that’s the nature of the beast.”

Championship: Blackburn Rovers 1 Luton Town 2

Defender Matty Pearson scored the winner on his first return to Ewood Park as Luton bounced back from three successive defeats in all competitions with a brilliant 2-1 victory against Blackburn Rovers this afternoon.

With 57 minutes on the clock and the scores locked at 1-1, Pearson rose highest to direct his header into the bottom corner from the recalled Izzy Brown's free kick, and give Town a lead that they held on to despite some serious late pressure from the hosts.

After league reverses against QPR and Hull City, the visitors made three changes for the fixture, Jacob Butterfield, Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu and Dan Potts all in, with Andrew Shinnie (knee) missing out, while Luke Bolton and Kazenga LuaLua dropped to the bench, joined by Luke Berry and Callum McManaman.

Although the Hatters spent the first few minutes hemmed inside their own half, they did break forward to have the first attempt on seven minutes, Brown finding Harry Cornick in space, the attacker's low shot easy for ex-Town stopper Christian Walton.

Town had the lead on 16 minutes, after a superb move started by Brown, the on-loan Chelsea midfielder surging to the byline and delivering a pinpoint cross for James Collins to bury a header beyond Walton for his 50th goal in Luton colours.

The opener saw Luton grow in confidence, with some lovely attacking moves from back to front, as one sweeping passage of play saw Potts unable to pick out a team-mate.

However, the visitors were pegged back on 37 minutes when the hosts had one effort charged down by Pearson and with Luton unable to get the ball away, switched play to the other side.

Elliot Bennett then pulled the ball back to the edge of the box where Lewis Travis, who had escaped the attentions of Brown, beat Butterfield and finished emphatically beyond Simon Sluga from 18 yards.

After the break, the Hatters looked to retake the lead when Brown once more advanced menacingly from midfield, weighting his pass for Harry Cornick in support, his effort parried behind by Walton.

Town did have the advantage once more when they won a free kick on the right and Brown swung it over for Pearson, against the club where he started out, to do the rest.

The otherwise quiet Stewart Downing, who can count Liverppool and Aston Villa amongst his previous clubs, looked to have swiftly made it 2-2, only to curl his free kick just inches past the post.

Rovers raided the bench for some real quality, former Spurs and Hamburg midfielder Lewis Holtby, with three Germany caps to his name on, plus experienced striker Danny Graham joining the fray.

Graham was close to drawing his side level, finding space in the area to meet Bennett's cross, Sluga holding on low down.

The hosts started to ramp up the pressure, Holtby dragging wide and then Adam Armstrong collecting a long ball over the top, bearing down on Sluga, only to lift his shot over into the stands.

Town brought on McManaman for Brown with 20 to go, the substitute having an immediate impact, stinging Walton's palms, the keeper parrying unconvincingly back into the danger area, with Mpanzu shanking the rebound horribly.

A marvellous block by Butterfield prevented a certain goal for the hosts, as Graham continued to cause problems, cushioning a header for Bradley Dack to slice off target.

It looked like Rovers had restored parity on 78 minutes when a cross was nodded back across goal for an offside-looking Dack to turn over the line.

No flag was raised by assistant referee Rob Smith, who was quickly met by a host of Hatters players appealing the goal, joined by referee Gavin Ward.

After a discussion between the pair, Ward then whistled and pointed for a free kick to the visitors, much to the frustration of the home fans.

Blackburn went on to ramp up the pressure in the closing stages, but despite pumping a number of crosses into the danger area, Town hung on manfully to register a first victory at Ewood Park for almost 40 years, their last success combing back in November 1981.

Rovers: Christian Walton, Derrick Williams, Bradley Johnson (Lewis Holtby 61), Greg Cunningham, Adam Armstrong, Sam Gallagher (Danny Graham 61), Stewart Downing, Bradley Dack, Darragh Lenihan, Lewis Travis, Elliot Bennett (C Dominic Samuel 81).

Subs not used: Jayson Leutwiler, Danny Graham, Amari’i Bell, Tosin Adarabioyo, John Buckley.

Hatters: Simon Sluga, James Bree, Dan Potts, Sonny Bradley (C), Matty Pearson, Jacob Butterfield (Luke Berry 81), Ryan Tunnicliffe, Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu, Izzy Brown (Callum McManaman 70), Harry Cornick (Lloyd Jones 86), James Collins.

Subs not used: James Shea, Lloyd Jones, Kazenga LuaLua, Elliot Lee, Luke Bolton.

Booked: Butterfield 55, Travis 83, Potts 90.

Referee: Gavin Ward.

Attendance: 15,319 (1,326 Luton).

Jones: We defended our way to Blackburn victory

Luton boss Graeme Jones felt his side had to defend their way to victory at Ewood Park this afternoon, as they picked up a magnificent 2-1 win at over Blackburn Rovers.

James Collins scored his 50th goal for the club, while Matty Pearson netted on his return to side where he started his career, as the Hatters climbed to 16th in the table.

Although Rovers had 66 per cent of the possession and 16 attempts, crucially only two of them were on target, as the visitors resolutely defended their goal, throwing their bodies on the line to prevent keeper Simon Sluga having a great deal to do.

Speaking afterwards, Jones said: “We had to defend our way to victory today, we didn’t attack our way to victory, we defended our way and the character of the boys, the understanding of the boys was excellent.

“Irrespective of the result, we needed to be competitive again.

“I think the last seven uminutes against Hull damaged us as it’s not a way to lose a football match.

“Leicester was a one off occasion really, but on Thursday, I was brutally honest with the boys.

“I asked for the same mental and physical consistency during the game, no matter what the scoreline is and I told them if we get that we’ll win the game.

“We played in a different way today, we used bits of the Leicester game to help us and we showed great character and came out 2-1 winners.”

It had looked like Luton were in for a long afternoon during the opening stages as Rovers dominated both possession and territory.

Vitally, they couldn’t breach the Hatters back-line though, as Jones said: “If you watch Blackburn for the first 20 minutes, you felt their quality.

“I didn’t want to come into the game and start being negative, I knew we had to be absolutely at our best.

“I knew set-pieces would be important in order for us to win here, they are a really, really strong Championship side, so for us to come here and do what we did was really, really satisfying.”

For the final half hour, Town had to defend against some high class players, Danny Graham and former German international Lewis Holtby on, but they did so impressively.

Jones added: “We changed the shape because you can feel Danny Graham’s threat and they put two up front, three up front, four up front, they’re throwing it in the box.

“We won the game 2-1, we conceded one goal, all I asked for the other day was to win the game, we got that and I’m extremely happy.

“We were absolutely in the game, we controlled the game defensively, not on the ball, possession stats were down, but that was set up that way.”