Tag Archives: Blackburn Rovers

27th August 2023- Championship, Watford 0 Blackburn Rovers 1

Official site: Match dashboard

https://www.watfordfc.com/match-report/match-report-watford-0-1-blackburn-rovers

BBC: Blackburn rode their luck on the way to snatching a narrow win over a dominant Watford side in the Championship.

Sky: The only goal of the game came after 72 minutes, when Ryan Hedges took over after Lewis Travis could lead the counter no longer, controlled the ball with two neat flicks and fired in from the tightest of angles.

Watford Observer: Live Feed

While it would be unfair to describe the Hornets’ second straight defeat as a smash-and-grab raid for their opponents, the fact the Hornets had 24 goal attempts to the visitors’ five would suggest they did enough to at least secure a point. But of those just four were on target and goalkeeper Aynsley Pears was only forced into two saves of note, meaning it is now three-and-a-half league games since the Hornets last found the back of the net.

Head coach Valerien Ismael felt his side shouldn’t have lost to Blackburn, but also admitted they need to adapt when opponents change their style of play.

BHappy: Prior to kick-off there was tribute payed to Andy Rankin who passed away during the week.  I was surprised to hear that he made his last appearance in 1979, the year I started attending matches as my memory was of watching him for far longer than that.  He had been my first goalkeeping hero and I was very sad to hear of his passing.  The minute’s applause was heartfelt. On 30 minutes the big screen showed a photo of Matt Sillitoe, the PA announcer at Ewood Park, who has passed away at the age of 30.  All sides of the ground joined in the minute’s applause. At half time, Danny Webber and Neil Cox were at the side of the pitch remembering Jimmy Davis as it is 20 years since his passing.  Gangster’s Paradise was played over the tannoy as this was the song that Jimmy had sung for his initiation.  Danny was very emotional talking about his friend.  Jimmy is remembered for his bubbly personality and cheeky smile as much as for his great footballing talent.  Danny talked about what a hard worker he was, wanting everything that he did to be perfect.  This even extended to the song, which he had practised until it was perfect.  He was enjoying his performance so much that he had to be carried off the stage as he wouldn’t stop singing.  Jimmy had been a very popular member of the team and is greatly missed by all who knew him.

FTRE: We can sit here, at least Mike would, and quote that Watford haven’t scored a goal since the 43rd minute of the opening game… about 230 minutes. But Mike is on holiday so Jon, Jason, Jordi and DCW gathered post match in Mad Squirrel to disucss the match, the changes – some enforced, some the choice of Valerian – the difference performace in the first and second half plus how the players got along, particulary the latest signing Mileta Rajovic and what led to the the 0-1 home defeat.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/championship/table

11th February 2023- Championship, Watford 1 Blackburn Rovers 1

WFC Net Goal Commentary: 1

Attendance: 19,294

BBC Sport: Bradley Dack scored his 50th league goal for Blackburn as they earned a point against play-off rivals Watford at Vicarage Road.

Sky Sports: Head coach Slaven Bilic bought on Tom Cleverley, who made his first appearance since Burnley in August 2022. The change gave Watford a boost and they equalised in the 73rd minute. Blackburn failed to clear a free-kick, and Hoedt marked his debut with a fine first-time effort on the edge of the area which Pears could not deal with.

BHappy: There’s no avoiding the game’s star turn. João Pedro doesn’t so much run as skate around the pitch;   he’s the first to draw blood, breaking on the right after a one-two with Martins and sliding an evil low ball in towards Araújo that absolutely needs to be cut out  at the near post and is, on the slide, by a Rovers centre back.   Later, both Daughters will reply “João Pedro” with an unspoken “obviously” subtext when their Grandad asks them who their current favourite player is at the top of Occupation Road.  Daughter 1 will be sullen at her ongoing unwanted record of (thanks to two relegation seasons and unfortunate match selection) not having seen a win since New Years Day 2020 – she’d been excitedly incredulous (“really???”) when I recklessly suggested at kick off that today could be the day.

Fran’s Watford Blog: At half time, there was a lovely tribute to Oli Phillips.  His family were guests of the club and his daughter said a few words.  Then Andrew French spoke very warmly about Oli who had been both a mentor and a friend.  The dedication of the media suite to his memory was a lovely gesture and the decorations both at the entrance and inside showing Oli wearing his trademark fedora were just gorgeous.

Taken by Alan Cozzi
https://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/sport/23316909.watford-pays-tribute-legendary-reporter-blackburn-rovers-draw/

Watford Observer: Watford pays tribute to legendary reporter in Blackburn Rovers draw

13th September 2022- Championship, Blackburn Rovers 2 Watford 0

Attendance: 11,803

BBC Sport: Ryan Hedges and Dominic Hyam scored their first goals for Blackburn as they beat Watford in the Championship at Ewood Park.

Sky Sports: The scoreline scarcely did justice to Jon Dahl Tomasson’s men who hassled and harried their opponents who couldn’t match their hunger, workrate and quality.

BHappy: It’s bloody awful.  Or at least, we’re bloody awful… Blackburn do a reasonable job of looking like a competent football team.  So we’re bloody awful.  Or rather…   we’re not completely awful, but the bits that are awful are so awful that they render the less problematic bits sort of obsolete.  For instance, I don’t really think there’s much wrong with our defence as far as actual defending goes.  Nothing that something more cohesive going forward to release the pressure wouldn’t relegate to merely something to work on in the goodness of time, for all Christian Kabasele’s generosity with possession.  Kortney Hause’s number has come up on the “who’s missing today?” spinning dial – a worryingly non-specific sprained ankle depriving us of the option of his surges out of defence and swinging crossfield balls.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/62803562

24th February 2021- Championship, Blackburn Rovers 2 Watford 3

BBC Sport: The game came to life in 10 first-half minutes as Joao Pedro lifted the ball over Thomas Kaminski to give the Hornets the lead before Ismaila Sarr scored from close range five minutes later.

Sky Sports: Harvey Elliott spectacularly gave Blackburn hope before the break, but the Hornets regained control just after the hour through Ken Sema’s pinpoint finish. Ben Brereton made it a nervy finish but Watford should have had the game sewn up by that point, with Sarr thwarted by Thomas Kaminski, and one cleared off the line at 3-1.

BHappy: The evening was pretty brutal all round.  It was hammering down with rain on a heavy, tatty-looking pitch.  Blackburn were on the back of a four-match losing streak and missing players.  We, of course, are also missing players… Foster, Kabasele, Chalobah, Deeney is at the very least a respectable spine for a Championship side.  This is the point in the season where the depth of our squad ought to tell.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/56093198

21st October 2020- Championship, Watford 3 Blackburn Rovers 1

https://www.skysports.com/football/watford-vs-blackburn/teams/429776
1-0
2-0
3-1

Post Match

Match-Report_-Watford-3-1-Blackburn-Rovers-Watford-FCDownload

Who said games involving Watford this season were boring?

Watford beat Blackburn Rovers at Vicarage Road

Watford beat Blackburn Rovers to climb into third place

Watford head coach Vladimir Ivic calls for improvements

Watford players rated after win over Blackburn Rovers

Vladimir Ivic tells Ismaila Sarr and Joao Pedro to put Watford first

Ben Foster wants Watford to kill teams off quicker

The Hornets took control with two goals in quick succession early in the first half from Joao Pedro and Tom Cleverley.

Watford goalkeeper Ben Foster had already made a number of fine saves by the time Ben Brereton pulled one back with a brilliant chest and volley from 25 yards out. The hosts were also fortunate not to have Christian Kabasele sent off after he hauled Adam Armstrong down when the Rovers striker had gone clean through.

Any concerns that the second half would calm down a bit were allayed within five minutes of the restart.  An underhit Chalobah pass towards Sema was cut out, and Wilmot was caught slightly flat footed as Brereton escaped only to be pulled back by a welcome offside flag.  That could have been a different second half. As it was, and with so much of our threat in the first half having come via the burning pace of Sarr and Femenía on the right, Blackburn telegraphed what was to come by giving Ken Sema all sorts of space to put a cross in on the left.  He’s already demonstrated that he needs no space at all to cause damage from wide positions, so it was little surprise that a minute later his vicious cross was turned in by Lenihan.

Three goals and three points for the Hornets, but that doesn’t come close to summing up an enthralling encounter at Vicarage Road, as Watford beat Blackburn to go third.
https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/league-championship/21-october-2020/

7th February 2015- Championship, Watford 1 Blackburn Rovers 0

WFC.Net goal commentary: 1

BBC: Watford striker Odion Ighalo scored his 12th goal of the season to give the Hornets victory over Blackburn.

Sky: The Hornets had been marginally the better side in the first half, but they struggled against the visitors’ more direct approach after the break and needed goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes to stop them from going behind on at least two occasions.

Bhappy: Blackburn dictated terms for long, long periods here, including the whole of a second half in which we barely created as much as a half-chance and, I suspect, mustered no more than one vital, decisive shot on goal. They set the agenda, they shaped the game, they’ll feel with complete justification that they should’ve won it. They were well-organised, robust and physical, and a bit charmless in a way that I find oddly charming; these kind of Championship gurners are gradually dying out, and more’s the pity. In Chris Brown, they had a proper old-fashioned villain of a centre forward, all bad-temper and elbows, whose only failure in the service of his side was to miss the couple of chances that came his way. In Jay Spearing, whose resemblance to one of the boulder-trolls from Frozen is uncanny, they had a proper midfield hatchet man, treading the kind of disciplinary tightrope that any midfielder worth his salt ought to spend his career walking. The rest aren’t exactly shrinking violets. There’s something Victorian and industrial about them, and I’ll regret the day when our legion of continental fancy-dans doesn’t have to overcome this kind of challenge. They’re a good side. Not a nice one, but a good one.

Fran’s Watford Blog: In a rare Watford attack, Vydra exchanged passes with Deeney and tried a shot that was blocked, it fell to Paredes who played it out to Deeney whose shot was put out for a corner.  Watford then took an unexpected lead as Layun’s set piece was played on by Angella to Ighalo whose shot found the net by way of Steele’s hand and the post.  The celebration of this miracle included a very long prayer from the goalscorer.  Blackburn tried to hit back and there was a moment of drama as Gomes punched a cross then chased the ball out of the box to welly it over the SEJ stand to loud cheers from the Watford faithful.  Watford appeared to have increased their lead in the final moments as Vydra and Ighalo broke forward and the Czech won a corner from which a cross was headed home by a defender as Ighalo challenged, but the goal was ruled out for offside presumably as Ighalo was deemed to be interfering with play.  There were huge cheers at the final whistle.  It had been a difficult game and the win was hardly deserved, but Blackburn had been such unpleasant opponents that I felt no guilt.  It was no surprise that Gomes won the man of the match award and he was given a tremendous ovation as he did his lap of the pitch applauding the crowd at the end.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/31070467