Blackburn beat Sheffield United to keep alive automatic promotion hopes
Blackburn catapulted themselves into automatic promotion contention with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Sheffield United in the Sky Bet Championship.
A frantic encounter was settled by Harry Pickering’s first goal of the campaign in the fifth minute, capping off a devastating counter-attack.
Both sides, fresh off giant-killing exploits in the FA Cup, created chances with Chris Basham and Oli McBurnie going close for the visitors, while Rovers rattled the woodwork in both halves.
The hosts took charge of the game in the second half and held on to register a vital win that moves them within six points of their visitors in second after their fourth consecutive league win.
Sorba Thomas returned for Blackburn after ineligibility for the cup win at Leicester, while Sheffield United made eight changes from their own FA Cup triumph but were without the suspended Anel Ahmedhodzic.
The hosts drew first blood after slicing the Blades open with a lightning counter in the fifth minute. Thomas set Sammie Szmodics away on the right and he found Tyrhys Dolan whose neat reverse ball found the overlapping Pickering who drilled into the right corner from 12 yards.
The Blades responded well, with Sander Berge shooting straight at Aynsley Pears, before the goalkeeper made a fine reaction save in the 21st minute, repelling a Jack Robinson header that took a deflection off Dominic Hyam.
Chris Basham almost produced a remarkable equaliser, weaving into the box and beating three players but he slipped at the vital moment much to the relief of Pears.
At the other end, Dolan was inches away from doubling the advantage when he rattled the post from 20 yards after Thomas’ cutback.
Oli McBurnie went close six minutes from the break when he met John Fleck’s cross but his header was off target.
Rovers were sensational in the second half and after John Buckley lashed over from the edge of the area, Szmodics was agonisingly close to a second on the hour mark, picking up the loose ball before curling a stunning effort that hit the crossbar and bounced over.
Sheffield United were hanging on and Blackburn cut them open once more with neat play that ended when Dolan’s shot in the area was blocked.
McBurnie should have equalised 16 minutes from time though when Jack Robinson’s long-range effort fell into his path but he placed a tame close-range effort straight at Pears and, moments later, John Egan planted a free header onto the roof of the net.
The Blades threw everything at Blackburn, who hung on for what could be their most vital win of the season.