Daniel Farke content with point as Norwich held by Blackburn

Posted Sunday, March 21, 2021 by PA

Norwich manager Daniel Farke had no problems accepting a point as the Championship leaders were forced to settle for 1-1 draw against Blackburn at Carrow Road.

The result was something of an anti-climax after nine successive wins and saw the Canaries’ advantage at the top cut to eight points following Watford’s win over Birmingham.

But Farke felt it was still a positive result for his side, who remain in an extremely strong position with just eight matches left.

He said: “We have got used to winning games recently so it was obviously a bit of a disappointment to draw this game.

“But it was another point towards what we want to achieve. You have to accept you can’t win every game.

“We have to pick up some more points, we know what we have to do to bring it over the line, and we will stay focused and keep going.

“It was a tight game against a good side but I thought we created enough chances to have won it, even though our play was not as tidy as I would have liked.

“Even after they equalised we created some good chances but in the end it was not to be.”

After a goalless first half, Norwich got their noses in front after 53 minutes with a well-taken goal from Kenny McLean, who played a neat one-two with Kieran Dowell before sliding the ball home.

But Rovers, who had won just one game in 11 going into the fixture, kept plugging away and got back in it in the 77th minute when Sam Gallagher popped up at the back post to head home a free-kick from fellow substitute Harvey Elliott.

There was another blow for Norwich when defender Ben Gibson was stretchered off after injuring his left ankle when trying to force the ball home from close range.

Farke added: “I must admit it didn’t look good. It looks like it could be a serious injury but I obviously hope not. We’ll know more when he has been examined by the doctor.”

Blackburn boss Tony Mowbray was happy to come away from Carrow Road with a point following a poor run of results after admitting Rovers had played a superior team.

He said: “We are learning the game – there is a difference in quality in the final third of the pitch and that’s where we are trying to grow.

“We had enough opportunities – if we had their strike-force at the top end of the pitch we might have scored a few more goals.

“We have been losing games 1-0 – we could have lost this one 1-0 if Sam hadn’t headed it in at the back stick and the questions would have kept on coming.

“We haven’t won enough matches, we understand that, but the results have started to pick up from tight defeats to draws.

“If it was the start of the season the draws would be wins, that’s just football.

“We are OK as a team, I can see a great work ethic and desire from these kids and let’s see where it takes us.”

On Gallagher, the Rovers boss added: “He has scored a couple of goals from substitute appearances, he has an amazing work ethic and a clever football brain.

“He can intercept and read passes and has an engine that keeps running.

“But sometimes you don’t play a centre-forward against two strong centre-halves – you ask different questions and that’s what we did.

“He won’t want to come off the bench, he wants to start the game but we needed energy and drive.”