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.
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