2 hours Ago
John Eustace's side defended their box heroically and took their opportunity at the opposite end to take another three points on Teesside. There was a hint of fortune about the winner, which was offside, but nobody from a blue and white persuasion cares. Middlesbrough can feel aggrieved at that decision but not the balance of the game.
They were limited to half-chances and failed to test Aynsley Pears with the Rovers goalkeeper finishing the game without making a meaningful save. Here are our takeaways from another impressive victory on the road for Rovers. Game plan worked to perfection Alright, there was a touch of fortune about the winning goal itself but Rovers did not 'rob' Middlesbrough.
The first half was a very even contest with the away side having spells of good possession and dangerous territory. At the other end, George Edmondson's effort was the best the hosts had to offer. Rovers sat in a mid-block, allowed the centre-backs to have possession and then sprung when they tried to progress the ball forward.
Lewis Travis and Sondre Tronstad were immense at keeping their discipline ensuring they pressed at the right moments. That forced Middlesbrough around the sides, with the centre clogged up. The crosses in the box were meat and drink for Dom Hyam and Danny Batth.
To win away at a team that will have underachieved if they don't make the top-six, you usually need your goalkeeper to perform heroics. But Pears was only tested with two routine efforts on target. A goal of supreme quality Yes, it's offside.
But the move to create the opportunity for Hyam to score was another of fantastic quality. Having scored three great goals, particularly the first two, at Cardiff, this was combination play that was just as easy on the eye. The speed of thought from Todd Cantwell and Owen Beck was brilliant.
Travis' pass into Cantwell was fizzed in but he diverted it perfectly to Beck and his little flick was delightful. Hyam had stolen a march on his defender and poked in for his first of the season. Whilst Blackburn Rovers' defensive display will again get plaudits, they are getting better and better at imposing themselves on matches.
In the first half, they played as much football as Middlesbrough did. They created chances, with Tyrhys Dolan missing the best of them. In the second half, they had to weather a bit of pressure but you don't go away from home in the Championship without that being the case.
They still carried a threat on the break and are producing better quality in the final third with each game. John Eustace is doing a remarkable job By my reckoning, Rovers have been 'poor' for about 200 minutes of Championship football this season. That is some effort after 16 games.
There's only Coventry, the second half of Sheffield United and an hour at Plymouth where you could say the team were truly second-best. This team is producing a really high level of consistency in their performances, even if the results didn't follow before the international break. We have to remember they lost their talisman.
Recruited late and with unproven players up front. Eustace is doing a nine out of ten job and everyone needs to remember the state this club was in when he picked up the reigns. January conundrum Having said all of the above, what could this group achieve with some investment in January? It is clear they are, at worst, a top-half team.
If they could sprinkle a bit of extra magic at the top end of the pitch, could this team finish in the top-six? It's an incredibly open division and Eustace has earned some backing. An extra striker and some further quality out wide could really make a huge difference. Otherwise, the financial gravity of the Championship could leave everyone wondering 'What if?'.
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