Tony Mowbray demands focus from Blackburn ahead of crunch Wigan clash

Posted Wednesday, February 28, 2018 by PA

Tony Mowbray is demanding focus from his Blackburn players after their 3-0 win at AFC Wimbledon moved them four points clear at the top of Sky Bet League One.

Bradley Dack bagged a brace, which included controversially opening the scoring on the half hour with a header that was deemed to have crossed the line despite Deji Oshilaja’s desperate attempted clearance.

Elliott Bennett also netted as Rovers secured their fourth win in a row but Mowbray is fully aware second-placed Shrewsbury and third-placed Wigan both have games in hand.

On Sunday, Blackburn host the Latics and Mowbray was delighted with how his side prepared.

“That’s another one you can tick off, get on the bus, go home and prepare for another big game on Sunday. It was a professional performance from the players,” he said.

“We settled after the first goal. We have to trust that the officials got it right. If it had been against us I’d have wanted to see some footage. The linesman’s right there, we’ll take the goal.

“That settled us. Elliott’s also got that in his locker, he’s got a good shot on him and he invariably hits the target. I’m delighted he has got back to scoring ways.

“Bradley’s been ill and we managed to get a victory without him against Walsall. He’s very important to the team.

“Everybody who plays for Blackburn Rovers believes it is a big game, and AFC Wimbledon have got their own battle at the other end of the table. So it was always going to be a tough game.”

Wimbledon had their chances as Lyle Taylor and Harry Forrester went close but Dack showed them how to finish when he headed in Jack Payne’s cross.

Bennett’s superb strike from 25 yards killed the game before Dack grabbed his second to leave Wimbledon just two points above the relegation zone.

“There was nothing between the teams in the first half. It was tight, we tried to do a job on certain players whom we knew would cause us problems,” said manager Neal Ardley.

“Everything we wanted to do we did. But we conceded a poor goal – I don’t know if it was over the line or not.

“The second goal kills us, and the third is a fantastic goal. If we kept it at 0-0 we’d have had something to build on. Their quality shone through.

“In the end it looks like we were outclassed, but my overriding feeling is that we didn’t really have a go.

“It’s a cold Tuesday night, home to the league leaders, and you kind of expect Wimbledon teams to have a go. If you come up short, you come up short because the opposition are better.”