BRERETON IS A NICE LITTLE LEARNER FOR BLACKBURN
Reece says Tigers have hunger to beat the drop
BLACKBURN
Dack 87 pen
QPR 1 0
SUPER sub Ben Brereton is happy to be still showing his L plates at Blackburn.
On loan from Nottingham Forest, the striker is learning to drive at the moment. And he came off the bench to win the late penalty which gave Rovers an unlikely victory.
Bradley Dack (above) slotted home the spot-kick for his seventh league goal of the season. “If the gaffer puts me on I’ll always do my best, work hard for the team and hope to help with goals,” said Brereton, 19.
“As long as I’m playing
I’m happy, it doesn’t matter where it is. I’ll always work hard for the team.
“I’m enjoying my lessons, driving relaxes me. I don’t care really because Adam Armstrong gives me lifts to training – he’s my chauffeur until I pass my test.”
Brereton had only been on the pitch five minutes when he went down under a Josh Scowen challenge.
“I think it was a penalty,” stressed Brereton. “I felt that bit of contact and went down. Thankfully the referee gave it.”
The teenager’s introduction proved pivotal and manager Tony
Mowbray said: “He made a good impact for us.”
Hoops boss Steve Mclaren blasted: “It was never a penalty, we didn’t deserve to lose.
“The referee had a poor game. Some of his decisions were mind-boggling.” Hull defender reece Burke insisted that his team are not scared after they stunned of the drop
West Brom.
With the Yorkshire club closer to being taken over, their players delivered a message that they mean business on the field, too.
Manager Nigel Adkins has had meagre resources to work with, and his team were rock bottom a month ago with only eight points from 12 games. Things are rosier now though, with the owners – the Allams – looking to do a deal and back-to-back wins being grabbed.
Players were on their mobile phones in the dressing room straight away after the game, checking the league table. Burke said: “It’s a bit of a blow being in the relegation zone, but we are not worried about that. It’s a tight league this season and it’s still early.
“It was a hard one to take when we were sent to the bottom, but it’s a great response from the lads. The character is good and I feel that we will fly up this table.”
Hope of that happening would be bolstered by potential new investment in the January transfer window. But this match showed that the Tigers’ team – with several new, young players – may be maturing.
Earlier this season, Hull’s defence looked like an accident waiting to happen, but it has suddenly recorded successive clean sheets in 1-0 wins against Bolton and West Brom.
The Baggies are the division’s top scorers by far, on 33 goals, so this clean sheet was an important psychological boost for the Tigers.
Their defenders have suffered this season, meaning recent results are a show of resilience.
Burke, who arrived from West Ham in the summer, added: “It is hard mentally when you’re trying to hold on and you lose points.
“You have just got to be positive. Nigel does a great job when we are losing games.”
This game was won by Fraizer Campbell’s close-range strike, creating joy among home fans who have often been downcast during this campaign. At full-time, West Brom’s travelling support booed their team.
Albion boss Darren Moore (above) said: “Our fans have got a right to voice their concerns – but what we need to do is stick together.”