Armstrong tames Lions
ADAM ARMSTRONG played the role of super-sub as Blackburn produced a smash-andgrab raid on Millwall.
The game was heading for a goalless draw when Armstrong, a 74thminute introduction from the bench, changed all that. He set up Joe Nuttall to bundle the visitors in front in the 86th minute and then broke away to score Rovers’ second 60 seconds later and send his side up to 15th.
Tom Elliott clearly didn’t fancy the late evening start and went down clutching his arm inside the opening 45 seconds.
After a delay for treatment, the tall striker was replaced by Steve Morison.
Nuttall appeared to be clipped by Jake Cooper as he attempted to reach Bradley Dack’s through ball in the 11th minute, but play was waved on.
There was another early change in the 24th minute, but this time it was referee Robert Jones who was forced off injured, pointing to his left calf, with fourth official Gavin Ward taking his spot.
“You’re not fit to referee,” sang the travelling Blackburn fans as Jones limped away.
In a rare moment of goalmouth action, Cooper met a Ryan Leonard corner in the 38th minute but sent his header well wide.
Aiden O’brien headed tamely wide in the 52nd minute from a Shane Ferguson cross, while Leonard forced David
Raya to push his longrange drive away in the first shot on target of the match just after the hour mark.
Tony Mowbray (below) threw another striker into the mix when he sent on Danny Graham for Craig Conway in the 64th minute, with Jack Rodwell nodding over a Harrison Reed corner soon after.
Mahlon Romeo tested Rayo at his near post with a firm drive in the 79th minute after good work by
Jed Wallace and Gregory, before Ryan Tunnicliffe, a former Rovers loanee, fired high and wide from a tight angle just inside the area on 82 minutes.
Out of nothing, Blackburn went in front in the 86th minute. The ball was played inside to an offside-looking Armstrong who got to the byline and pulled it back for Nuttall to poke home from just a yard out.
A minute later, it was 2-0. Lewis Travis won the ball in midfield and found Elliott Bennett, who slid Armstrong into space.
He cut inside and his curling effort went in at the far post as Rovers took all three points.