BALD TRUTH OF UNREST FOR ROYALS

READING striker Sam Baldock has vowed to fight for his future despite hinting at growing unrest at the club.

Baldock (above), on as a sub, scored his fifth league goal of the season but could not save the Royals at Ewood Park.

And after a second defeat in a row, the 31-year-old revealed: “On my part there’s a lot of unfinished business. I know in the past not every manager has particularly wanted me at the club, so I’ve got to prove my doubters wrong.

“From what I can see it’s not a straightforward club, there’s a lot more going on. I don’t know what, rumours fly around changing rooms, people in negations with intermediaries - it’s not for me to say.

“It’s just from what I hear and see things aren’t as other clubs run them. But hopefully we can get a strong group of players for next season and can compete.

“I think I’m one of the players who hasn’t benefited from what’s been going on.”

Ben Brereton and Adam Armstrong put Rovers 2-0 up after only six minutes, before John Swift reduced the deficit with a superb free-kick.

Joe Rothwell restored the hosts’ two-goal advantage nine minutes after the break. Baldock and Yakou Meite replied to make it 3-3 but Tony Mowbray’s Rovers clinched victory through Sam Gallagher’s 87th-minute header.

Mowbray said: “We can look good, we can dominate, we can play some really good attacking football, and yet we’re left scrambling to win it at the end.”

Walton 7, Nyambe 7, Lenihan 7, Carter 7, Rankin-Costello 7, Travis 6, Johnson 6 (Davenport 70, 5), Rothwell 7 (Chapman 78, 6), Holtby 7 (Buckley 70, 6), Brereton 8 (Gallagher 70, 8), Armstrong 9 (Vale 78, 5)

Rafael Cabral 8, Gunter 7, Morrison 6, McIntyre 5 (Moore 36, 7), Blackett 7 (McCleary 60, 7), Meite 7, Rinomhota 5, Swift 8 (Osho 83) Olise 5, Richards 5 (Obita 60, 7), Puscas 5 (Baldock 59, 8)

Tim Robinson