Preston North End 0-3 Blackburn Rovers: Ben Brereton impresses as Blackburn win Lancashire derby
- Published
Adam Armstrong netted from the penalty spot for his 12th league goal of the season
Blackburn continued their free-scoring Championship form with a dominant victory against Preston in the Lancashire derby.
Preston arguably had no way back into the game moments before half-time when left-back Joe Rafferty was sent off for hauling down Sam Gallagher in the penalty area.
Adam Armstrong converted the spot-kick for the opener before Ben Brereton and former Lilywhite Tyrhys Dolan added the second and third in the second half.
Preston have still won just once at home in the Championship this season, losing the other six, while Rovers are now unbeaten in their past four games.
Tony Mowbray's side also top the scoring charts in the division with 25 from 13 games.
The hosts failed to register a shot on target for the whole game while Blackburn dominated possession in the second half.
Even before Armstrong opened the scoring, the Rovers striker twice went close to netting his 12th league goal of the season in 13 appearances.
Declan Rudd made a smart block from his follow-up after an initial Darragh Lenihan strike before Armstrong narrowly fired over from distance.
But as Gallagher burst clear down the Preston right, Rafferty could not keep pace and his foul was immediately punished with a red card from referee Tony Harrington.
Armstrong stepped up to find the bottom left corner and then after the break Brereton slotted home from 12 yards with his left instep after Joe Rothwell burst unhindered into the Preston penalty area.
Brereton then turned provider for the third with a defence-splitting low ball from the right across the six-yard box which found substitute Dolan unmarked at the back post to tap home into the empty net.
Preston manager Alex Neil told BBC Radio Lancashire:
"I think the game probably took shape the way we expected it to. We found it hard to build from the back with the personnel we have missing and the lack of balance with a lot of right-footed players.
"The disappointing fact from our point of view was they had the ball for the majority of the first half and we were defending well off the ball.
"But, the penalty comes off the back of us probably having the best chance of the first half.
"It's hard enough applying pressure on Blackburn on the ball in the first half with 11 players, never mind with only 10.
"At the moment, we lack the pace in transition and we lacked mobility tonight for some of their goals."
Blackburn Rovers manager Tony Mowbray told BBC Radio Lancashire:
"I think we know we're capable of performances like that. I think they've been coming.
"We had eight first-team players unavailable for tonight, but the team that we picked got the job done and we felt reasonably comfortable from the start.
"Obviously the sending off helped, but it's not an accident that people get sent off. That's now three or four teams we've played this season who've had players sent off because of our ability to break forward past players at pace.
"I'm pleased with the points as I've said before, when we get some of the injuries and Covid-19 issues out of the way, we're going to be a pretty strong team."