Tony Mowbray hails Blackburn’s fast start

Posted Wednesday, January 31, 2018 by PA

Blackburn manager Tony Mowbray lauded the manner in which his side started the game as they swept Walsall aside 3-1 to move into the automatic promotion places.

Rovers took the opposition apart in the opening half hour. Danny Graham’s brace – the fourth straight home league game he has notched in – was not a full reflection of the hosts’ dominance.

Joe Edwards replied before half-time but Bradley Dack restored the two-goal cushion just after the break as Blackburn deservedly made it three wins in their last four games.

After extending their unbeaten league run to 18, Mowbray was pleased with Blackburn’s attacking intent.

He said: “I think it was about getting the three points tonight. Before kick-off, there’s always an anxiety about a game you hope to win, feel you should win and you have to go and get the job done. I thought the nature of the way we went out and got after the game was really positive.

“If anything, we gambled the game a little bit. I would suggest we wouldn’t play in such a front-foot nature against other teams in the league.

“With total respect to Walsall, we wanted to suffocate them because if you allow them to play, they’ve got some technically very good players.

“The gameplan seemed to be working and then obviously we lost a goal which sucked a bit of life out of us but at half-time we talked about winning the second half and we obviously started the second half very well, and got the third goal.”

Walsall’s poor run continued, and they have now lost four of their last five. It is more than two months since they won away and boss Jon Whitney said his side need to be “more resolute.”

He said: “We expected them to be strong, they’re on a great run, but we played into their hands a little bit in the first 10 minutes. We needed to stretch the game. We didn’t execute the gameplan tonight and to get 2-0, it’s very difficult.

“We know they are a strong team – them and Wigan are the two teams we’ve played who I’d expect to be pushing for automatic, but I still think we can make it more difficult for them in the early stages of the game and try and keep them quiet, and we didn’t do that.

“I think it was two mistakes which led to their first two goals, (which) makes it very difficult.

“Those errors get punished and you’re not going to create a lot of chances here so it’s important you keep it nice and tight. We didn’t do that and you’re not going to win the game.

“We’ve got to make sure we’re more resolute.”