Rovers enjoying calmer waters
WHERE once there was chaos now an eerie calm has settled over Blackburn Rovers with Craig Conway the latest player to aid the club’s quiet promotion push.
Conway, making his full debut following his January arrival from Cardiff City, finished off a sweeping counter-attack in the first half with his first goal for the club.
It was enough for Blackburn to see off a Reading side and narrow the gap between Rovers and the play-off places to four points.
And while has represented something of a comedy club since the Venky’s takeover of 2010, manager Gary Bowyer has got them back on an even keel and may yet enjoy the last laugh.
“It is a very difficult place to come, they are a very good team so we are delighted with how we went about are game,” he said.
“You know when you come to a top team there are going to be spells in the game where it will be frantic. They all stood together and stood firm.
“It was a great counter attack goal and I am delighted for Craig Conway.
“We broke, Jordan [Rhodes] did ever so well chasing the lad down and we had one or two over – I am impressed with the desire we had. There are loads of club in the Championship but we have 15 games now and our aim is just to get as many points as we can.”
Bowyer has opted to watch recent games from the stands, “it keeps you out of trouble”, and he certainly would have liked what he saw, though it was Reading who made the brighter start.
Pavel Pogrebnyak slid in Jobi McAnuff on the left wing but after cutting in his shot was saved by Paul Robinson.
The striker had another chance on 18 minutes when a cross was delivered by McAnuff but good defending once again stopped the home side taking the lead.
The game was slow for half an hour and the Royals were reduced to long-range efforts.
A foul from Jason Lowe, for which he was booked, ten minutes before half time gave the home side a chance from a free kick but Jordan Obita's effort hit the wall.
Blackburn broke and after Jordan Rhodes was tackled the ball fell to Conway whose leftfooted effort put his side ahead.
The goal sparked the visitors into life and Alex McCarthy had to put a strong hand on Rhodes’ volley from just outside the box before almost spilling a the striker’s header just before half time.
Nigel Adkins’ team needed to add some spark and he made a triple substitution on 62 minutes and they could have had a penalty five minutes later.
Adam Le Fondre turned Matt Kilgallon and as the defender fell to the floor his trailing arm knocked the ball away, much to the displeasure of Adkins.
“It was a clear penalty, there is your talking point. We just didn’t get the rub of the green on it,” he said. “Adam is six yards from goal, it is a penalty.
“We have been on a good run of form with good momentum but we couldn't capitalise on that.
“They have come away from home and gone back with all three points.
“We know what we have got to go and achieve, there is a spirit amongst the players and they work really hard.”