Tyrhys Dolan kept alive Blackburn’s chances of making the Sky Bet Championship play-offs after a hard-earned win at Sunderland.
On an afternoon when results elsewhere meant the Black Cats secured fourth place, Dolan’s 33rd-minute strike was enough to clinch a 1-0 victory at the Stadium of Light and a third on the trot for Valerien Ismael’s side.
By contrast, Regis Le Bris’ men have lost their last three games and have collected just one of the last 12 points on offer, hardly the kind of form they would want to take into the play-offs.
Le Bris made seven changes to the side which lost 2-1 at Bristol City on Good Friday, one of them to replace the suspended Trai Hume following his red card.
Wilson Isidor tested goalkeeper Balazs Toth with a first-time shot from Harrison Jones’ fourth-minute cross and Tommy Watson saw an effort blocked by Ryan Hedges with the home side threatening the Rovers goal early on.
The visitors started to come into the game as Sondre Tronstad and Lewis Travis gained a foothold in midfield but it took a solid 29th-minute block by Dominic Hyam to deny Isidor after Jobe Bellingham and Watson had broken at pace.
Isidor flashed an ambitious volley across the face of goal from Jones’ lofted pass but the hosts were behind 12 minutes before the break when Cauley Woodrow found Dolan in the box and he stepped inside Joe Anderson – making his first league start for Sunderland – before firing into the roof of the net.
Jones blazed over after Luke O’Nien’s speculative attempt had been deflected into his path and Danny Batth blocked Bellingham’s effort as the whistle approached but the home side went in at the break frustrated.
In a tepid start to the second half, Watson looked the man most likely to fashion an opening but clear-cut chances were at a premium and after Isidor had dragged a 64th-minute attempt wide, the Frenchman made a triple change to send on attacking trio Chris Rigg, Enzo Le Fee and Eliezer Mayenda.
Bellingham only just failed to get a touch on Rigg’s teasing 77th-minute cross but Blackburn substitute Makhtar Gueye might have done better after bursting forward four minutes later only to see his shot charged down by defender Chris Mepham.
Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner hailed his players for writing a new chapter in Crystal Palace’s history following their 1-0 FA Cup triumph over Manchester City.Eberechi Eze’s 16th-minute goal and Dean Henderson’s penalty save paved the way for Palace to land their first major trophy and a spot in the Europa League next season.“We said before the game that we wanted t...
Pep Guardiola was unhappy about Dean Henderson’s time wasting in Manchester City’s FA Cup final defeat – but the Spaniard refused to be drawn on whether the Crystal Palace goalkeeper should have been sent off.An angry Guardiola exchanged words with Henderson after the final whistle following City’s 1-0 loss at Wembley, which leaves them without a trophy this season and stil...
Airdrieonians secured their place in the Scottish Championship for another season as they beat Cove Rangers 2-1 on aggregate in their play-off final after a 0-0 second-leg draw at Excelsior Stadium.The early stages saw Lewis McGrattan bring a good save out of Cove goalkeeper Nicholas Suman, before counterpart Cade Melrose did well at the other end as he blocked Adam Emslie’s shot with his fo...
Eberechi Eze’s 16th-minute goal fired Crystal Palace to the first major trophy in their history as they secured a 1-0 FA Cup victory over Manchester City at Wembley.Eze put Palace ahead with their first attack of the match before an inspired Dean Henderson saved Omar Marmoush’s penalty.However, Henderson could count himself fortunate to still be on the pitch after he earlier appeared t...
East Kilbride won promotion to Scottish League Two for the first time and sent Bonnyrigg Rose down after a 0-0 draw at New Dundas Park saw the visitors triumph 3-1 on aggregate.Bonnyrigg goalkeeper Paddy Martin did well to keep out a Joao Balde strike in the 24th minute, before Aaron Arnott fired over at the other end.Kerr Young was unable to make the most of two chances for the hosts midway throu...
Jim Goodwin paid tribute to his dogged Dundee United side following the 2-1 comeback win over Aberdeen which clinched fourth place and a European spot.The Terrors, who returned to the William Hill Premiership this season, had lost their four post-split matches going into the final fixture against the Dons, who were two points ahead and looking in fine fettle when Danish attacker Jeppe Okkels score...
Barry Ferguson was left infuriated by one of the worst decisions he has ever seen and called for the introduction of goal-line technology after Rangers were on the wrong end of a pivotal first-half call in their season-concluding 2-2 draw away to Hibernian.With Gers leading through an early Cyriel Dessers strike, Nico Raskin looked to have put them two ahead in the 15th minute but Hibs defender Ro...
AFC Wimbledon manager Johnnie Jackson believes the toughness of his side has driven them to the League Two play-off final after they defeated Notts County 1-0 at Plough Lane.An early strike by Josh Neufville gave the Dons a 2-0 aggregate victory that was as deserved as it was hard-earned.The South London outfit have not let in a goal in the last three games, and further demonstrated why their defe...
Dundee United clinched a European place after leapfrogging Aberdeen into fourth place in the William Hill Premiership with a stunning 2-1 comeback win.Danish attacker Jeppe Okkels scored his first goal for the Dons since signing on loan from Preston in January after 15 minutes with the visitors controlling the game.United gradually came back into it and in the 56th minute defender Declan Gallagher...
Rangers were left to lament a contentious first-half moment as they ended a largely dispiriting William Hill Premiership campaign with a 2-2 draw away to Hibernian.Second-placed Gers went ahead early on through top scorer Cyriel Dessers and felt they should have doubled their lead in the 15th minute when Nico Raskin looked to have forced the ball over the line. However, play was waved on and Hibs ...
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