MOWBRAY HAILS HIS ‘WHIRLWIND’
Dolan was class act, says boss
TONY Mowbray saluted teenager Tyrhys Dolan after his Blackburn side secured their first win in seven games.
A goal in each half from Bradley Dack and Sam Gallagher ensured they returned to winning ways after a miserable run of form.
“I didn’t think the level of performance was exceptional but we took our opportunities and restricted theirs – we saw them off relatively comfortably in the end,” said Mowbray.
“I don’t usually give special mentions to players, but I think Tyrhys deserves one today – he was like a whirlwind out there,” the former Middlesbrough player added.
“I played centre-half and to think that the kid would be chasing you down after every touch like he did – it was an amazing performance for such a young guy.”
Mowbray also had praise for goalscorer Dack. “It’s been really difficult to get him back up to speed and he understands that the team has to come first, but it might be after a proper six-week pre-season that we see the very best of Bradley again. He’s got enough quality to play in the Premier League, no problems.”
After an uneventful first 15 minutes, it was the visitors who broke the deadlock with the first shot of the match. Midfielder Dack picked up the ball on the edge of the box and, after feinting to shoot on his left, cut back and let rip with a right-footed shot that deflected off Shaun Hutchinson, JLYLQJ %DUWRV] %LDãNRZVNL QR chance.
The Riversiders had a chance to extend their lead before the break when Barry Douglas curled a set-piece in with his left foot and Gallagher did well to get up highest and meet it, but his header looped well over the bar.
Gary Rowett opted to change his mode of attack just before the hour mark, introducing Matt Smith off the bench and the big striker almost made an immediate impact, but couldn’t direct Scott Malone’s cross on target.
Malone then had an opportunity to test Thomas Kaminski himself, but his free-kick was straight at the Belgian. As 70 minutes approached, John Buckley outpaced the Millwall defence to reach the byline and cut it back for Dack, who was steamrolling in and looked hampered by a challenge from James Woods as he shaped to shoot. A corner was signalled, but Dack and his team-mates were convinced it should have been a penalty.
Both managers then made triple substitutions and it was Liverpool loanee Harvey Elliot who made the biggest difference. The teenager burst into the box and fed fellow teenager Dolan, whose shot deflected off Jake Cooper, on to the chest of Gallagher and into the net.
Rowett had little to complain about in the defeat, citing his side’s lack of quality as their main flaw.
“In the Championship sometimes you’ve got to show different sides to your game and I felt we didn’t show enough quality in the final third,” he said.
“Blackburn deserve the win, but there wasn’t really that much in it again.”