Dom disaster has Rovers’ play-off hopes in balance
A CALAMITOUS own goal late in added time by Dom Hyam wrecked Blackburn’s dream of a play-off cushion – but kept Preston’s flickering hopes alive.
A pacy squared ball by North End sub Rory Delap cannoned off Hyam and into the net as Preston mounted a do-or-due last chance raid.
Yet just 10 minutes earlier it looked as though Sammie Szmodics was Rovers’ villain-turned-hero as he made amends for handling an earlier ruled-out ‘goal’ by powering home what appeared to be a play-off lifeline.
His late strike looked to have given Blackburn the three points they needed to leapfrog Millwall and Coventry into fifth position, with a showdown on Tuesday against local rivals Burnley.
But it was not to be as Hyam played a cruel part in giving Preston a late gift.
Rovers came to Deepdale smarting from their 4-1 drubbing a Ewood Park by the Lilywhites, aiming to grab revenge and to keep their own top-six hopes alive.
Now they face arch rivals Burnley at home when a win could give the Clarets the Championship title and a Rovers victory could keep the other side of East Lancashire happy.
They certainly gave it their best shot, particularly when they brought on leading striker Ben Brereton Diaz after the break.
Within minutes the Chile international flashed out a warning as he weaved goalwards from the left flank – seeing his on-target shot diverted for a fruitless corner by Patrick Bauer.
Then another deft touch by Brereton Diaz gave Szmodics a chance of glory – only for the Blackburn summer signing to get an outstretched arm to the ball as he handled it home off the Preston crossbar.
Rovers’ 5,000-strong army of followers erupted in glee as they thought they had the winner.
But eagle-eyed referee Rob Jones immediately blew his whistle and Preston lived to fight again. PRESTON: Woodman 7; Storey 7, Bauer 6 (Woodburn (75) 6), Hughes 6; Potts 5, Onomah 6 (Onamah (82) 6), Whiteman 7, Johnson 7 (Mccann (69) 6), Fernandez 6; Parrott 6, Cannon 7 BLACKBURN: Pears 6; Rankin-costello 8, Carter 6, Hyam 6, Pickering 6; A Wharton 7, Morton 6, Travis 6; Thomas 6 (Brereton Diaz (45) 7), Szmodic 6, Dolan 6 (Hedges (45) 6) STAR MAN: Joe Rankin-costello – The Blackburn man gave another up-and-at-‘em performance throughout. REFEREE: Rob Jones 7