Great team effort provides vital three points

Rovers traveled to Reading to face a team already in a play off position who put 5 past Blackpool last month and last time out beat QPR 3-1. For Gary Bowyer a game he had to watch from the stands - serving a one match touch line ban. But despite the odds looking well against the visitors, a game that ran on for an extra 11 minutes - saw Blackburn bring all the points back North. A first goal for his new team for January signing Craig Conway on his first start delighted the manager, and only a great save from the Reading keeper prevented Jordan Rhodes making it two. Paul Robinson only had one serious attack to deal with, and Tommy Spurr also could have found the back of the net. 101 minutes was eventually played - with an injury to Tom Cairney on the hour mark, and a time also added for time out for a Reading man. But Blackburn held on, and post match the Rovers Manager told reporters:- "This is a very tough place to come and I knew it was going to be a difficult afternoon. I was delighted at how we went about it, it was an impressive display. It was a great counter-attack for the goal, although it did take a bit of a deflection, and I was delighted for Craig. It was not the most attractive of games, but it was such a great team effort from us. It was massive."
And he told the clubs official website:- "You can imagine what I thought when the board goes up and you see nine, but we dealt with the added time! We were throwing our bodies in front of the ball, we defended the goal magnificently well.You knew they were going to come back and have a go at us, but we worked very hard and I am pleased with how we went about it again."
Had Rovers lost today they would have been 10 points behind the 6th placed Royals - the win makes that a 4 point gap with a game in hand. That match - against Brighton - will not take place this week as they will face Hull City and an FA Cup replay. Another date is yet to be announced. So next Saturday it's the first of two local derby's - away at Bolton. Then the BIG one - Burnley at Ewood on March 9th (22nd February 2014)

Brighton will replay at Hull in FA Cup 5th round

Blackburn Rovers will have to wait again to play Brighton at Ewood Park. The Seagulls scored first in their 5th round FA Cup tie, but Hull City came back with a late equaliser meaning that the two will meet again in the competition. That should see the rearranged Championship fixture (originally scheduled for 15th Feb) moved again, as 25th Feb 2014 is the reserve date for the FA Cup replay! (17th February 2014)

A valuable point & another clean sheet

Paul Robinson was the star of the show making some key saves as Rovers held Middlesbrough to a 0-0 draw and kept second successive clean sheet. The home side were far the most adventurous side in the first period, but after the break Rovers showed more flare and came close on a number o occasions. They shared possession 50/50 over the 90 minutes. Rudy Gestede offered Rovers best chance but put his attempt wide of former Rover Shay Given.
The Rovers Manager was full of praise for Robinson - telling reporters:- "Robbo was outstanding. He was excellent, he just oozed international class. He's always got that in his locker. You don't play for your country as often as he did without having some outstanding ability. When called upon he did his job magnificently well but then again he's got another 10 in front of him that helped keep a clean sheet.The character and resilience that they showed can only be applauded."
But the boss admitted that overall they hadn't played well telling the clubs website:- "We are the first to admit that we didn't play well, especially in the first half, so you have to be pleased with taking the point. It is another clean sheet, that is eleven for the season now, there are still positives to build on from this."
With other results Blackburn fell a place to 9th - but with Reading (their next opponents) losing at home to Sheffield Wednesday - they are now just 4 points away from a play off place. They now have a two week break - with next weekends game postponed 'till 25th Feb against Brighton. (8th February 2014)

LINKS: bbc.co.uk (full report) ALSO rovers.co.uk (reaction) PLUS t&t1314 AND fix1314

Bowyer adds to team ahead of North East trip

Blackburn Rovers have managed to secure the services of Leeds United striker Luke Varney - on loan for the rest of the season. There were strong rumours that Rovers wanted Varney during the transfer window - but on the say that loans are permitted they moved quickly to sign up the 31 years old. They also have an option to but. He went straight into the squad for the trip to Middlesbrough - and came of the bench to replace Rudy Gestede and play the final fifteen minutes.
Gary Bowyer told the site:- "He is a great addition to the squad and a great lad. He has been very keen to join us. He works really hard, he is a great team player and gives us further options in our attacking areas. He is an agressive forward who will give defenders a real handful."

Read a potted biography of the play on the clubs official website rovers.co.uk and bbc.co.uk (8th February 2014)

LINKS: rovers.co.uk (comment)

Rovers return to winning ways in Lancashire derby

After collecting just two points from their last two games, Rovers were determined to do much better in the latest Lancashire derby. Blackpool arrived with former Rover Barry Ferguson in temporary charge after Paul Ince was sacked by the club. Son Tom made the move out to Crystal Palace where he joined up with Scott Dann - a transfer deadline day repartee from Ewood. Rovers didn't make the brightest of starts, but after the fist ten minutes the creative flare of David Dunn helped the home side gathered momentum, and it was the veteran who gave Rovers the lead in the 20th minute. A clean strike from just outside the box. 1-0 at the break, and Dunny made his departure after the customary 60 minutes! A chance for new boy Craig Conway to come off the bench and as his new team went in search of a second . He provided a cross following a corner and Grant Hanley was on hand to head home. Blackpool never really proved much of a threat, and the 2-0 victory was deserved for team GB.
Gary Bowyer told RADIO ROVERS: "It was a very good win. I thought we started the game well, went about passing the way we passed it on Tuesday night and then there's the outstanding individual brilliance from Dunny to give us the first goal. It set us off and if anything again we were complaining at half-time that we should have been out of sight. I thought in the first half we were trying to score the perfect goal too many times. That is something for us to work on and build on but fortunately for us we stuck at it in the second half and the introduction of the two wingers made a difference. We showed our resilience again, I can't remember too many chances for Blackpool aside from the shot in the first half from Davies which Robbo saved. Craig Conway's delivery was spot on, he is going to be useful for us that is for sure. We are unbeaten through the week and if we can keep doing that through the next couple of months we'll be okay."
The win moved Rovers up to 8th place, but with other teams winning, they remain 5 points outside the play off places. (1st February 2014)

LINKS: bbc.co.uk (report & reaction) ALSO rovers.co.uk (reaction) PLUS t&t1314 AND fix1314

Welcome to Craig Conway and Bryan Dabo

Blackburn Rovers completed the signing of two further players ahead of the closure of the January transfer window. The managed to bring in French under 21 International Bryan Dabo on loan 'till the end of the season, and offered a two & a half year contract to Scottish International Craig Conway who joins from Cardiff City. The two got International clearance before the Saturday Blackpool fixture and both started on the bench for the game. The club also confirmed the departure of Scott Dann who joined Crystal Palace along with Tom Ince from Blackpool. All together Rovers parted company with 16 players out on loan, contracts cancelled and transferred. (1st February 2014)

LINKS: bbc.co.uk (Conway) ALSO bbc.co.uk (Dabo)