No sanctuary for Owls as Rovers hit the goal trail
OLD BLACKBURNIAN
THANKS to the city planners of Sheffield over many iterations, the streets around Hillsborough are a warren of one-way systems, traffic lights, tram-only streets and on match-days; coned-off carriageways designed to allow the departing spectators a sporting chance of getting at least half a mile away from the ground without being run over. Experience therefore dictated that last Saturday I would park a little further away from the ground and ensure that I would not get caught up badly in post-match gridlock. I need not have worried.
Football supporters the world over travel to games with no certainty of the outcome. That is of course, the joy of sport; on the day, almost anything can and does happen. This isn’t cinema, theatre, ballet or opera – nothing is scripted. choreographed or is “in the can”; here, the actors make it up as they go along. Sport is competitive improvisation.
Sometimes, let’s be frank, it’s pretty mundane, but equally, every now and then, you are fortunate enough to be present at one of those “I was there...” moments, memories of which you will carry with you for the rest of your life. Saturday was one of those for sure.
Going into the game on the back of a winless run stretching to six games in all competitions, the prematch mood was subdued, expectations structured, enthusiasm in check. A bright start saw Rovers in a kit mash-up resembling a Dundee tribute act, dictating the speed and the pattern of the game. An early corner somehow found its way back to Walton in three passes leaving Lenihan, Adarabioyo and Gallagher marooned upfield, believing themselves victims of a practical joke. This was followed by some sharp inter-passing, movement off the ball, pace and no little invention.
The opener came from Holtby but was a result of some persistence and invention from Armstrong who was causing mayhem cutting in from the insideleft channel. An early goal up, we’ve been here before of course. Sam Gallagher in his now accustomed wide-right role looked a handful, cutting inside his marker but invariably fifteen to twenty yards wide of goal. If only he could run onto a pass through the middle? Nyambe too was immense, a warhorse on the right-hand side.
The next significant moment came when midfield powerhouse Lewis Travis won a 60/40 midfield challenge that drew a foul from Wednesday’s Massimo Luongo, interpreted by the referee as a red card offence. To the naked eye it was definitely a foul, certainly a yellow, but the red card was a surprise. We have been and will be on the receiving end of some dodgy refereeing decisions, that’s football, so when one goes your way, the imperative is to capitalise and for once, Rovers did just that. “It’s more difficult to play against ten men...” is one of the great football clichés and let’s be honest, Rovers have not always been arch exponents of despatching weakened opposition, so there was some trepidation at this point.
Travis picked up the ball outside the area and shaped a lovely shot arcing towards the bottom left-hand corner only for it to hit the inside of the post, rebound off the back of Wednesday keeper Dawson’s head and dribble into the goal. At this point, Rovers felt that the tide was inexorably moving in their direction, but memories of Preston away are not yet expunged. Another football cliché is muttered in the away end; “next goal is going to be important...”
Well so it proved, Armstrong and Holtby linking up menacingly once again ensured that the half-time pies, pints and coffees could be enjoyed in a more relaxed frame of mind, wrapped in the comfort of three-nil security blanket. The home fans vocalised their disappointment and large swathes voted with their feet, not returning for the second half.
Social media informed us that Rovers had once lost a game at Hillsborough in 1960 by five goals to four, surely not?
Garry Monk threw the last remaining dice at half-time making his final two substitutions but the second half continued much where the first had left off. Downing conducting the orchestra, Armstrong troubling the full backs and centre backs with direct running and the defence solid, albeit under minimal threat from the Owls’ attack. A corner early on was volleyed home, side-footed by Darragh Lenihan with some aplomb and there we were; over forty minutes to go but no jeopardy at all.
Holtby went into full show-boating mode, Rothwell picked up a ridiculously unnecessary yellow and was rightly substituted to prevent the referee having the chance to even up the numbers. By now, the home fans that had remained in the ground were demanding red cards for Rovers players merely for breathing noisily in the general direction of their heroes. The steady trickle for the exits continued and it was at that point even the most jaundiced Rovers fan could start to relax and really enjoy the remaining half-hour, secure in the knowledge that there was no heart for the fight remaining in the opposition.
The only remaining unresolved questions; how many more, could Gallagher score from the wing, would Brereton be introduced, is this the time for a Rankin-Costello debut? The answers; one, no – he moved inside to a central role to score, yes and yes. The weight of pass from Rankin-Costello to Gallagher for the fifth was worthy of Stewart Downing himself, there can be no higher praise. Gallagher, made a robust case for being played through the middle by smashing it home with his left foot and that was that.
Five goal victories don’t come around too often, especially away from home. I’m lucky enough to have witnessed two now, albeit more than twenty-three years apart; on an actuarial basis, I might just see one more, I really hope so!
THE Annual General Meeting of the Three Towns Snooker Association will be held on Wednesday, 12th February, 2020, at the Conservative Club, Cliff Street, Rishton, at 8pm.
Any clubs wishing to enter team/s for the forthcoming season, please send a representative to this meeting. Also at this meeting, Team Registration sheets, Singles and Doubles sheets will be handed out.
If any club cannot send a representative and wish to enter, please inform either Ken Whittaker (07981 043311), John Shaw (07811 170379) or Victor Keough (07974 640885).