HECKE OF A DISPLAY
Mowbray hails Rovers’ revival
By ALEX CROOK at the Vitality Stadium
TONY MOWBRAY says Blackburn have punched their way into promotion contention with five wins from six games since being humiliated by Fulham.
Ben Pearson’s own goal and Jan Paul van Hecke’s second-half header saw the former Premier League champions close the gap on second-placed Bournemouth to just four points.
When they were hammered 7-0 at Craven Cottage at the start of last month, Rovers were 14 points off Scott Parker’s Cherries.
Delighted Rovers boss Mowbray said: “When someone punches you in the face as hard as Fulham punched us in the face then you have to start swinging back.
“I said after that, throw it in the bin. They didn’t hide, they didn’t curl up in a ball and hope they didn’t get selected.
“The team have clicked into place despite the injuries we’ve got.
“I think this is a really difficult place to come and the stats show that. Scott’s a top manager, top bloke and they’ve got some really good players.
“It was a really hardfought victory. I really think that they can give anybody a game. We are capable.”
Blackburn took the lead in fortuitous fashion in the 21st minute.
Mark Travers could only parry captain Darragh Lenihan’s header and Ben Brereton-Diaz’s rebound effort cannoned off the crossbar before striking Pearson in the face and finding the net.
Dominic Solanke should have equalised in first-half stoppage-time after being sent clean through by Ryan Christie but shot straight at keeper Aynsley Pears.
Van Hecke sealed the win in the 65th minute with a towering header from Joe Rothwell’s corner.
The defeat extends Cherries’ winless run to five games.
And their boss Parker
was angry with the referee
Simon Hooper and his officials after claiming Blackburn’s opener should have been disallowed.
Parker said: “For the first goal there were two players who were blatantly offside, and we missed a big chance to equalise with Solanke.
“I spoke to the official at half-time and he said that if he made a mistake, he was sorry. I could sense in his body language he was not sure.”