Blackburn 1-2 Bristol City: Robins earn first win at Ewood Park in three years | OneFootball

Bristol City picked up a 2-1 win over Blackburn Rovers this evening, picking up their first win at Ewood Park since 2022.

Yuki Ohashi opened the scoring as the hosts took an early lead, before first-half goals from Emil Riis Jakobsen and Scott Twine turned the game on its head and gave The Robins a much needed win.

As It Happened

Both sides made changes to their team ahead of this clash, Blackburn brought derby day hero Yuki Ohashi into their starting XI alongside Kristi Montgomery as the pair replaced Moussa Baradji and Andri Gudjohnsen. Meanwhile, Gerhard Struber made five changes as he brought Sam Morsy, Cameron Pring, Scott Twine, Emil Riis Jakobsen and Mark Sykes into his side with Neto Borges, Adam Randell, Delano Burgzorg, Sinclair Armstrong and George Earthy dropping to the bench. Former Bristol City midfielder Taylor Gardner-Hickman made the bench for the hosts.

Matthew Donohue was the referee for tonight’s match, having taken charge of 17 games so far this term but with none of them involving either of tonight’s teams. It was the away team who started stronger as they attacked early on through Riis, but his low ball into the box was misscontrolled by Twine before eventually being dealt with by the Rovers defence.

However, it was Blackburn who drew first blood as the aforementioned Ohashi found the net after six minutes with a superb right-footed finish into the top corner. The Rovers starman also netted the winner in the reverse fixture at Ashton Gate earlier this season.

The Robins looked for an instant reply as Balazs Toth saved a Jason Knight effort from close range, the offside flag went up straight after but a strong save from the Hungarian nonetheless. Toth was called into action again a minute later as he pushed Riis’ effort out for a corner, yet the visitors couldn’t make the set-piece count.

Struber’s men continued to push for a leveller with a string of corners but the Blackburn defence held firm. The equaliser eventually came through Riis whose volley fired past Toth after 17 minutes, his ninth goal of the season. City continued to pin Blackburn into their own half, and create chances as they looked to gain the lead.

As The Robins kept the pressure on, Twine saw penalty appeals waved away by the referee before Tomi Horvat rattled the post from distance minutes later. The first yellow card of the night was shown to Ryoya Morishita after he delayed the restart from a City free-kick. Moments later, the visitors took the lead through Twine who tucked the ball into the top left-hand corner of the Blackburn net after a lovely ball across from Riis on the half-hour mark.

With just five minutes of the first-half remaining, Ohashi was booked for a foul on Robert Atkinson with the City defender stayed down injured for a lengthy period of time. Thankfully for Bristol City, their only fit natural centre-half was okay to continue, even whilst moving gingerly. Minutes later, Morsy picked up a yellow card for a foul on Morishita, bringing the first 45 to a close.

Bristol City were forced into the first substitution of the match during the break as the injured Atkinson was replaced by Borges, leaving The Robins without a natural central defender on the pitch. Rovers also made a change at half-time with Sondre Tronstad making way for Baradji.

Blackburn had their best chance since the opener shortly after, but Mathias Jørgensen couldn’t direct his header on target. The Riversiders won themselves a corner as they hunted for an equaliser but this time it was Eiran Cashin who headed over the crossbar.

Ater 10 minutes of the second period, Vitek was called into action as he saved well from Ohashi’s acrobatic effort. A break in play followed whilst Twine received medical treatment, before the former Burnley man was replaced by Burgzorg. Armstrong and Randell were also introduced to proceedings as Riis and Morsy made way.

Morishita tested Vitek from range who nearly spilled the shot in to the path of Ohashi before gathering just in time. The hosts made two further changes with 25 minutes left to play, as Gudjohnsen and Dion De Neve replaced Jørgensen and Harry Pickering.

Baradji won his side a corner in the 69th minute after his long-range effort was deflected over by Horvat. However, moments later Morishita narrowly avoided a sending off after committing a tactical foul on Sykes whilst walking a tight rope from his earlier booking.

Rovers had a great chance to level up shortly after but Gudjohnsen was denied by some strong defending from George Tanner. At the other end of the pitch, Horvat won City a free-kick in a good position but his strike was spectacularly saved by Toth after it looked destined for the top corner.

Vitek was forced into another strong save with ten to play, this time sliding across the line and saving with his knees to protect The Robins’ lead. Blackburn made another change whilst City skipper Jason Knight received treatment, this time it was Kristi Montgomery whose evening came to an end with Oladapo Afolayan his replacement.

Another Blackburn chance went begging with five minutes left to play as Ohashi’s effort went narrowly wide. Moments after, Knight was the second Bristol City player to make it into the referee’s notebook…for a foul committed by Horvat, in a classic case of the wrong player being punished.

As the visitors pushed for a third goal to kill off the game, Horvat found Burgzorg at the back post but the Middlesbrough loanee couldn’t convert the opportunity. Horvat was later withdrawn, with four minutes of additional time left to play, as Max Bird made his way on to the pitch, The Robins’ final change of the night.

Blackburn looked almost certain to cause City some trouble in the final moments, but as they looked to fire the ball into the penalty area, the referee got in the way causing play to be restarted with the ball eventually going out for a Bristol City goal kick and bringing this eventful game to an end.

Vitek was the eventual hero for City as he made a superb save in the final second of the game, securing a huge win for Bristol City that keeps them within reach of a play-off spot.