Palmer grit clinches it
TONY MOWBRAY saluted Chelsea loan star Kasey Palmer after his goal helped Rovers extend their impressive unbeaten start to the season.
Midfielder Palmer’s clinical 54th-minute strike did the damage for Rovers, who have now not lost at home in their last 23 matches, dating back to September last season.
Palmer, who is on a seasonlong loan at Ewood Park, bagged his first league goal for Rovers and his second in three games, having also scored in the EFL Cup, as Mowbray’s players claimed their first home win of the campaign.
“I’m delighted he’s scored because he’s had a family illness and been in London all week,” said Mowbray (above). “I’m just so happy for him!
“He’ll feel someone’s watching over him because he’s had a tough week.”
Mowbray added: “We spoke about leaving our souls exposed and it was there again, you could see how hard we had to dig to get the win.
“Everybody did their job, it was a fantastic effort against a very good passing team.
“They’ve torn teams to shreds this season, so I’m delighted with the result, the work ethic and the team.” Both managers made changes after the efforts of midweek and Finnish forward Marcus Forss, handed a starting slot for the Bees, shot straight at keeper David Raya with the opening chance of the contest.
At the other end, midfielder Joe Rothwell had a shot deflected wide.
But the best chance of the first half came in the 32nd minute when the Bees’ Algerian forward Said Benrahma headed against the bar from a Henrik Dalsgaard cross.
Nico Yennaris rifled a left-foot shot just wide of the target as the visitors looked the more likely to break the deadlock and Ollie Watkins also lashed a left-foot shot across the face of goal.
A fantastic save from Raya spared Rovers blushes nine minutes after the restart. The shot-stopper did brilliantly to turn Yennaris’ thunderbolt on to the underside of the bar.
Lady Luck was then on Rovers’ side as Palmer pounced to fire home after keeper Daniel Bentley palmed Elliott Bennett’s cross perfectly into his path.
Benrahma was denied an equaliser after another superb save from Raya, this time tipping the midfielder’s shot over.
But, despite their best efforts, the Bees could not find a sting in the tale and slipped to their first league defeat of the season.
“The defeat is tough to take because I’m not sure they [Blackburn] created much at all,” said boss Dean Smith.
“It was a niggly, ponderous game of football, but I thought we created the best chances in the game.