Coyle left to look to the Evans after loss
JAAP STAM felt his side’s resilience was key to their dramatic win at Ewood Park.
It was a topsy-turvy afternoon that saw the tide swing both ways before George Evans’ stoppage-time goal gave Reading the win that they just about deserved.
And Royals boss Stam was proud of the way his players dug in against a difficult Blackburn side.
He said: “We deserved it I think. We’re always looking for a certain way of playing, dominating with possession and creating chances.
“Of course, we knew from the start how Blackburn played – if you give them a chance, they can go very direct with the physical players they have up front and the midfield runners.
“We still tried to control the game but every time we scored they got back and they made it very difficult for us out there.”
Dominic Samuel opened the scoring on an entertaining afternoon in the 32nd minute with a cool finish but this was cancelled out by Danny Graham just before half-time.
Stam’s side were back ahead after an hour when Liam Moore was on hand to chest home after Liam Kelly’s ferocious strike struck the crossbar.
Back came Rovers again, though, when veteran defender Wes Brown, 37, headed in a goal on his debut 17 minutes from time.
The knockout blow finally came in the second minute of injury time when Evans neatly tucked the ball away after fine work from Garath McCleary.
After a defeat that leaves them two points from safety, Blackburn boss Owen Coyle said: “It is hard to take.
“I felt over the piece we were the better side.
“We knew they would have possession but that being said, we have created eight great chances.
“I’m talking about ones that should be in the back of the net.
“As well as we played, we have to be clinical.
“We put so much into the game, we should be leaving with points, there’s no doubt about it.
“We’ve given everything we have today.”
On the anniversary of his sacking at Chelsea, United boss Mourinho saw two goals from Ibrahimovic continue his new club’s revival.
Mourinho was off his seat to celebrate the second strike from Ibra, which took his tally for the season to 16.
It was a night when the Swede, 35, was both hero and villain as he was also booked for a bad challenge on Craig Dawson.
What was at times a bad-tempered battle also saw United defender Marcos Rojo and Albion striker Salomon Rondon yellow-carded after an ugly bust-up in the 65th minute.
But United deserved their victory in a match in which skipper Wayne Rooney was denied a club-record equalling 249th goal by the fingertips of his former Old Trafford team-mate Ben Foster, who turned his drive on to the bar.
United went into last night’s match in their best form of an improving season for Mourinho’s men.
Their hard-fought 2-1 victory at Crystal Palace last Wednesday night was their third in succession and extended United’s unbeaten run in all competitions to nine games.
And it was soon on the way to being four and 10 for the fans of stats. United took