HE’S SAM-TASTIC
Super-sub Gallacher halts Canaries’ wonderful run
SAM GALLAGHER came off the bench to make a point – and deny Norwich their perfect 10.
The Rovers sub’s late leveller prevented the Canaries from equalling a club-record 10 wins on the bounce.
Kenny McLean’s opener had put runaway leaders Norwich on the brink of emulating the Class of ‘86.
But given Daniel Farke’s stars are still eight points clear with eight games to go, they can soon make history of a different kind by clinching a second Championship title in three years.
Farke said: “We are used to winning football games in recent weeks and recent months so the first feeling is to be a bit disappointed because we were so close but you can’t win them all.
“We are not dancing on the table but we are one point nearer to where we want to be.”
Five of Gallagher’s six goals this term have been as a sub but Blackburn boss Tony Mowbray made no apology for not starting him.
He said: “He has an amazing work ethic and a clever football brain but sometimes you don’t play a centre-forward against two strong centre-halves – you ask different questions and that’s what we did.”
Blackburn matched Norwich in every department, although they could been two down at the break. Emi Buendia, back following the birth of his second son, ran at Rovers in the sixth minute before slipping in Todd Cantwell.
The midfielder’s shot reared up off Darragh Lenihan and hit a post.
Buendia had a go himself in the 36th minute only for Rovers skipper Lenihan to get in the way again. This time the deflection gave keeper Thomas Kaminski a reflex save to make and the Belgian managed to paw the ball on to the bar.
Norwich looked vulnerable at the back however, especially when left-back Dimitris Giannoulis was forced off with a blow to the face after half an hour.
Teemu Pukki had been waiting for a chance but Kaminski saved the Finn’s shot early in the second half.
The reprieve was shortlived though as McLean exchanged passes with Kieran Dowell and slotted a right-footer in the far corner on 53 minutes.
Cantwell’s 76th-minute handball let Rovers level, with sub Gallagher out-jumping Sorensen at the back post to head home Harvey Elliott’s free-kick.
Norwich suffered a further blow when Ben Gibson was stretchered off with a serious-looking ankle injury trying to force a winner from a corner.
NORWICH: Krul 6; Aarons 7, Hanley 7, Gibson 7 (Zimmermann 83, 6), Giannoulis 6 (Sorensen 29, 5); Skipp 7, McLean 7; Buendia 6, Dowell 6 (Stiepermann 67, 5), Cantwell 6; Pukki 6. Unused subs: Nyland, Vrancic, Hugill, Placheta, Hernandez, Tettey.
BLACKBURN: Kaminski 8; Rankin-Costello 6 (Bennett 70, 5), Lehihan 8, Harwood-Bellis 7, Douglas 6; Rothwell 6, Evans 6 (Downing 70, 5), Holtby 6 (Johnson 86, 5); Dolan 6, Buckley 6 (Elliott 64, 7), Brereton 7 (Gallagher 64, 7). Unused subs: Pears, Nyambe, Bell, Branthwaite. MAN OF THE MATCH: Darragh Lenihan. Rovers skipper put his body on the line to make vital blocks. REFEREE: Keith Stroud 6.