Blackburn 2-2 Sunderland: Harry Leonard earns late point for Rovers
Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship match between Blackburn Rovers and Sunderland at Ewood Park on Boxing Day; Harry Leonard earns late a point for John Eustace's Rovers side.
Thursday 26 December 2024 18:32, UK
Harry Leonard grabbed a 90th-minute equaliser as Blackburn secured a dramatic 2-2 draw with fellow play-off hopefuls Sunderland in a pulsating encounter at Ewood Park.
The academy graduate had been on the field for just three minutes before turning in a knockdown for his first goal of the season.
It gave John Eustace's men a share of the spoils they deserved on the basis of their first-half display which was utterly dominant and led through Yuki Ohashi's first goal since September.
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But, roared on by 7,577 away fans, Regis Le Bris' side stunned their hosts with two goals in the space of four second-half minutes as Chris Rigg fired home from close range before Wilson Isidor's audacious flick completed the comeback.
Leonard's late intervention ensured the game ended all square but even then Eliezer Mayenda should have won it for the visitors but fluffed his lines when clean through.
Sunderland are unbeaten in five but missed the chance to move within two points of the summit.
Blackburn started the game in aggressive fashion and should have been ahead when Owen Beck stole the ball back in his own half and set a flowing team move in motion that should have yielded an 11th-minute opener but Tyrhys Dolan blazed wastefully over when set clear.
Dolan made amends two minutes later, though, when his run caused havoc in the Sunderland defence and after Callum Brittain's cross was blocked, Dolan cushioned a header towards Ohashi who turned and volleyed home from close range.
The hosts were rampant and Ohashi set up Ryan Hedges on the edge of the area but the Welshman couldn't generate the power to trouble Anthony Patterson.
Sunderland will have been relieved to only be a goal down at the break and they rectified that within minutes of the restart as Dan Neil's low cross was blocked by keeper Aynsley Pears but only into the path of Rigg who slammed home from six yards.
They turned the game on its head by taking a 55th-minute lead when Patrick Roberts raced down the right and his cross was elegantly flicked home by Isidor.
The tide had completely turned and Sunderland had chances to put the game to bed.
Chris Mepham and Rigg missed the target with headers in quick succession before another break just after the hour saw Isidor's cross-cum-shot cleared off the line by Beck.
But they were undone at the death when Brittain's cross was knocked down to Leonard, who clinically swept home.
Mayenda had the chance to snatch a glorious win when he ran on to a clearance and was only had Pears to beat but the keeper brilliantly flicked the ball off his toes.
The managers
Blackburn's John Eustace:
"Great for Harry. It's been a difficult moment for him but the way he's been working on the training ground, he's getting his minutes in the 23s and really glad, throwing him on at the end, that he's in the right place at the right time to get the equaliser.
"It's important we don't rush Harry and put too much pressure on the young lad. He's dying to do well for the club but he's had seven months out through injury and we've got to get him playing where he's feeling free and enjoying his football.
"I've certainly seen a big difference in him and with 10 minutes to go it was never in doubt to put Harry on. I was hoping the chance would drop to him and I'm glad it did.
"It couldn't have dropped to a better finisher. Delighted for him with all the hard work he's put in."
Sunderland's Regis Le Bris:
"It's not a bad result to be fair against a strong team. It's not a bad point.
"Probably, the scenario of the game, we can analyse and assess what happened exactly but at the end it's a good point.
"It was clear during the first half, the level of our team wasn't the one expected. We were probably at 60-70% of our best potential.
"It was clear during half-time it wasn't a tactical issue or something like that. It was just a question of our level and we were not at our best level.
"If we wanted to be competitive in the game, we had to raise our standards and we did it.
"It shows we have a good potential and the ability to react but probably today it wasn't possible to play a more consistent game.
"It was very unstable and it was a positive for our opponent because were still unstable, with many counter attacks both ways and they scored in the end."
