Derby County vs Blackburn Rovers. Sky Bet Championship.
Pride Park StadiumAttendance29,753.
Derby 2-1 Blackburn: John Eustace steers Rams past old side to boost survival hopes
Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship match between Derby County and Blackburn Rovers at Pride Park on Saturday; Craig Forsyth and Ebou Adams seal victory for John Eustace's Rams against his old side.
Saturday 8 March 2025 18:38, UK
John Eustace celebrated his first victory as Derby head coach with a 2-1 win over his former club Blackburn.
Eustace saw his side score two early goals to win for the first time since Boxing Day and give themselves a chance of avoiding relegation.
Craig Forsyth and Ebou Adams put Derby in charge before Makhtar Gueye reduced the deficit - but despite dominating for long periods in the second half, Rovers could not avoid a defeat which damages their play-off ambitions.
On a glorious sunny afternoon, Derby got off to a start they could only have dreamed of with two goals in the opening seven minutes.
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After Blackburn conceded a free-kick in the third minute, Marcus Harness headed the ball across the six-yard box and Forsyth slid in to turn the ball over the line at the back post.
Harness was involved again in the second goal four minutes later when his low cross from the right was not dealt with and Adams pounced on the loose ball to score.
Derby were fighting for every ball and kept Blackburn at arm's length, although the visitors had a chance to reply in the 24th minute when a free-kick found Hayden Carter but his header lacked the power to beat Jacob Widell Zetterstrom.
The Derby keeper made a better save four minutes later after Sondre Tronstad played in Yuki Ohashi but his low shot bounced away off the legs of Zetterstrom.
But Blackburn were back in it five minutes before the break when Tyrhys Dolan pulled the ball and Ohashi picked out Gueye, who fired into the roof of the net from 12 yards.
Gueye was close to turning in a cross just before the half-time whistle which was a reminder that Blackburn were more than capable of turning the game around.
The visitors started the second half with a spring in their step and Ohashi found space inside the box but his volley sailed over the bar.
Both teams were struggling to carve out a clear chance, although Blackburn were having plenty of possession with Derby struggling to get hold of the ball.
But the home side were close to a third in the 84th minute after Harrison Armstrong's shot fell to Jerry Yates but he could not divert the ball goalwards.
Derby had to survive seven minutes of stoppage time but they clung on for a victory that takes them off the bottom of the table and just four points from safety.
The managers
Derby's John Eustace:
"I thought before the game the team was in a very good place and I can see the group growing. I think they are starting to believe in each other more and more.
"The most important thing is you can see the effort of the group. Where we might lack a little bit of quality at times, we give back with endeavour and effort.
"I was really proud with the effort of the group, the lads were outstanding today. We've had a very difficult week with injuries but the way the lads went about their business was something I'm very proud of.
"I thought the stadium was electric, it was rocking. Both sets of fans were great and the way the Derby fans got behind the boys was great, they pulled the ball into the net for those first two goals and certainly kept the ball away from the net in the second half!"
Blackburn's Valerien Ismael:
"The players are really disappointed, they wanted more, maybe they wanted it too much and we lost the game in the first seven minutes.
"We knew exactly what we would face, everything was set but the first seven minutes were very difficult to manage. We changed the shape and after that it was much better, we had more control.
"The goal gave us momentum for the second half and we were in control but we were not very dangerous and I expected more crosses, more penetration and shots on target. It's something we need to work on and learn from.
"It's a learning process for the players, if you want to fight and compete for something then you have to be ready from the first to the last minute."
