Blackburn Rovers 3-1 Sheffield United: Tony Mowbray's side come from behind to beat Blades

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Blackburn bounced back from losing 7-0 to Fulham midweek, their heaviest ever home league defeatImage source, Rex Features
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Blackburn bounced back from losing 7-0 to Fulham in midweek - their heaviest ever home league defeat

Blackburn Rovers came from behind to beat Sheffield United at Ewood Park.

The Blades started brilliantly through Rhian Brewster's volley - his first league goal for the club.

But Rovers, determined to recover from losing 7-0 at home to Fulham on Wednesday, responded when Reda Khadra danced through to level.

Ben Brereton Diaz and Ian Poveda struck in the second half to help their side up to sixth in the table, while Sheffield United slipped to 18th.

The opening goal came in the second minute, when Sheffield United captain Billy Sharp hurdled a challenge and chipped the ball in from the right, leaving the unmarked Brewster to acrobatically blast it high into the net.

Minutes later, Brereton Diaz collected Darragh Lenihan's pass and finished neatly for Rovers, only to be flagged offside.

The hosts then grew in confidence without creating clear chances, until German winger Khadra dribbled away from two defenders and fired in a deflected shot which wrong-footed Robin Olsen in goal.

Blackburn almost completed the turnaround immediately, but midfielder Jacob Davenport blazed over after a poor clearance from the visitors, who recovered to go in level at the break.

However, Poveda soon drilled a low cross into Brereton Diaz, who tapped in, and the creator then got his name on the scoresheet for the first time in a Rovers shirt, slotting in the rebound after Olsen parried his initial effort.

It could have been even more comfortable, but Olsen denied Brereton Diaz when through one-on-one, and John Buckley hit the post late on for a Blackburn side who ended a run of three consecutive defeats against Sheffield United.

Blackburn Rovers manager Tony Mowbray:

"I thought they reacted extremely well. It's no surprise to me, that's what they do. We all had to cope with the game midweek but I think it showed great strength of character.

"The intention for our team was to be aggressive today. I think we could have scored a lot more goals than we did. Great credit to them.

"I need to mention the support today because I think they were with the team, even when we went 1-0 down.

"I think that had an effect on the way we reacted and ultimately got the result."

Sheffield United manager Slavisa Jokanovic told BBC Radio Sheffield:

"We started well, we scored a goal, but after that we didn't put enough energy on the field.

"We created some chances without being clinical. We weren't strong enough, quick enough.

"Today was a poor performance, we don't deserve anything other than defeat.

"We are disappointed for the 5,000 [travelling] people, to offer them this poor level is not good."

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