Blackburn Rovers vs Sheffield Wednesday. Sky Bet Championship.
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Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship match between Blackburn Rovers and Sheffield Wednesday at Ewood Park on Sunday; Aynsley Pears' own goal contribute to Rovers defeat; Wednesday now a point and place clear of drop zone
Monday 22 April 2024 08:18, UK
Sheffield Wednesday climbed out of the Championship relegation zone with a vital 3-1 win at Blackburn.
Roared on by a 7,321-strong away following, Danny Rohl's men responded with a deserved victory on an edgy afternoon against fellow strugglers Rovers.
Josh Windass' spectacular early lob was cancelled out in the ninth minute by Sammie Szmodics' well-taken finish - his 31st of the campaign.
Wednesday took control with two goals in six second-half minutes as Marvin Johnson slotted in to finish a lightning break, before Aynsley Pears endured a moment to forget when he somehow sliced a clearance into his own net.
The win moves the Owls a point and a place clear of the bottom three after making it four unbeaten.
Blackburn were brought back down to earth after the win at Leeds and, aside from a second-half chance for Szmodics, barely threatened. They are just three clear of trouble.
Wednesday's vociferous away support were rewarded with a sixth-minute opener as Pears was stranded after racing out of his box to head a ball clear but Rovers lost possession and when it fell to Windass, he brilliantly lifted the ball in off the crossbar from 35 yards.
The prolific Szmodics equalised within three minutes as he latched onto Callum Brittain's pass and though his first touch was heavy, he confidently lifted the ball over James Beadle from eight yards into the bottom left corner.
Both sides were disjointed and untidy in possession, but Wednesday should have scored in the 37th minute when Windass turned Anthony Musaba's low cross wide.
They went close again when Johnson set up Liam Palmer, who blazed over, while a simple long ball set Szmodics clear in first-half injury time but Bambo Diaby got back to thwart him.
Wednesday did regain the lead in the 58th minute after winning the ball on the right and Musaba raced down the wing before sending in an inch perfect cross for the onrushing Johnson at the back post who emphatically found the bottom corner from six yards.
The visitors registered a third six minutes later, but it was all Blackburn's doing and a horror moment for Pears who, under no pressure at all, completely mis-hit his clearance from Dominic Hyam's pass and it spun behind him and into his own net.
Rohl's men were in control at this point but they were let off when Szmodics fired over from 12 yards, though Musaba went close to capping a superb performance with a goal but Pears somewhat redeemed himself with a terrific reaction save to palm away.
Will Vaulks' powerful free-kick forced Pears to parry away in injury time but Wednesday had done enough to register a crucial victory.
Blackburn's John Eustace:
"First half I thought we were well in the game, I thought we bounced back from the early goal, showed great character. Felt we controlled the first half fairly well.
"Second half, the manner of the goals was disappointing. (We) lost the ball in midfield, didn't chase back quick enough, and they punish us.
"The third goal, we can't do much about that. It's a mistake. It's a tough one to take and it's disappointing. However we've got a magnificent chance next week. Everything is in our own hands.
"It's disappointing we've lost but it's football. Last week we bounced back from a difficult defeat and showed that togetherness and got a great three points.
"Now it's important we show that togetherness again and we bounce back again next week.
"Everyone is disappointed. This is football, we had the highs last week, we have the lows this week, nobody gets carried away."
Sheffield Wednesday's Danny Rohl:
"The job is not done.
"We worked hard to be out of this (relegation) zone. Six months, we tried everything. Today we took the opportunity.
"The last four-five weeks we've had the opportunity. But today all in all we connected our performance with a good result.
"I think when I look back to our performance against Stoke and Swansea, was good, but the result was not what we wanted.
"Today…a good reaction. I feel this the whole week. We trained well. I think today it was a courageous performance from my team.
"We forced them into mistakes, we played football how we wanted to play. It was a good togetherness on the pitch but also off the pitch with our massive support. They made an away game into a home game, so (a) big thank you to everybody.
"The performance of my team and especially the mindset and mentality is outstanding."
