Jon Dahl Tomasson says Blackburn should have ‘buried game’ before late equaliser

Posted Sunday, April 23, 2023 by PA

Jon Dahl Tomasson admitted Blackburn shot themselves in the foot as Dominic Hyam’s injury-time own goal cost them two valuable points in a 1-1 draw at Preston.

Sammie Szmodics looked to have given Rovers all three points with his strike 10 minutes from time, but Ryan Hedges messed up a chance to double the lead and Preston broke clear to level, denting Blackburn’s play-off hopes in the process.

The draw keeps Preston in the hunt, two points behind seventh-placed Rovers, with Millwall currently in the final spot in sixth courtesy of a superior goal difference.

And while Tomasson is confident his team still have a lot left to give in the race to make the top six, he acknowledged they should have killed off this encounter and sealed a first win in six Championship matches.

He said: “We are disappointed and frustrated the result didn’t come our way. We worked so hard, and you concede the way we did…We should have buried the game with the chance just before. When you don’t get the three points, every point is important.

“You need to bury it or run to the corner flag. That is football, they are doing their best.

“It was an excellent goal (from Szmodics), well deserved. We could have been more clinical but when I see them working that hard, it is great to see. You can make mistakes on the ball.

“The players have brought us into a situation where nobody thought we would be with our young squad. We want to prove people wrong with three games to go.”

Tomasson made a big call leaving star man Ben Brereton Diaz on the bench in favour of Tyrhys Dolan. The decision nearly paid off when Dolan took the ball down and shot goalwards but saw his effort charged down by Jordan Storey.

Szmodics put the ball in the net for Blackburn shortly before the break, but it was ruled out for offside against Dolan in the build-up.

A second Szmodics goal was disallowed, this time for handball from Brereton Diaz’s cross – the Chilean brought on a half-time.

Eventually, he got his goal, the ball dropping nicely for him to fire into the bottom corner.

However, Hedges missed the chance to wrap up three points when through one-on-one and Preston broke with Hyam turning the ball into his own net from Liam Delap’s cross.

Preston boss Ryan Lowe was understandably delighted to salvage a point, and felt it was no more than his side deserved.

He said: “Both teams needed it, and it was a fair result a draw, but it feels a bit better for us.

“I thought it was two local rivals fighting it out to get three points and sustain a play-off push. We edged it first half and could have gone in a goal up.

“They make changes at half-time and disrupt us a bit. If we’d gotten the ball forward more and sustained attacks, we’d have opportunities. Szmodics then breaks away, cuts inside and it’s a great finish. But the character from the lads, every time they give us it.

“I’m really pleased for Liam Delap. He’s found it tough, game time and not scoring many goals but hopefully he can continue now for the next two games and see where it takes us.

“We’ve got two good games to go into and if we can take it into the last game of the season at home to Sunderland I’ll be pleased.”