FOR BEES CALM
Brentford up to fifth with victory over Blackburn
Gestede’s toe six yards out, then tackle Ryan Tunnicliffe as he ran clear.
The equaliser came though on the stroke of half-time. Craig Conway’s cross was met acrobatically by Gestede. The shot’s power was lost by Tony Craig’s deflection, but the deflection wrong-footed David Button and dribbled in.
Both sides were throwing punches from the second-half’s outset, but Brentford landed one first.
Gray controlled Jota’s cross on his chest, before tumbling down while attempting a shot. From the ground he shot again, this time connecting cleanly to stab the ball beyond Jason Steele.
Blackburn responded with Ben Marshall’s powerful shot, but it bounced back off the post, after smart interplay between Gestede and Tunnicliffe.
It was the turning point, as minutes later Jota seized a loose ball in midfield and pranced unimpeded through Rovers’ defence to slot in.
Blackburn manager Gary Bowyer said: “It’s a major disappointment. We got ourselves back in it just before half-time and started the second-half well. It’s just the manner of the goals that we’ve con- ceded – they were soft again - that are disappointing from our point of view.
“When we hit the post at 2-1 that was the big moment in the game, but the ball just didn’t quite drop for us.There wasn’t a great goal scored. Ours is a deflection. Bidwell’s is a mishit shot that’s deflected off somebody. Gray miskicked his shot first time around. The third goal we played them in.
“There’s a hell of a lot of football to go.You judge a team after 46 games. There’s 25 to go. We’ve got to regroup.”