Blackburn 1-0 Huddersfield: Ben Brereton Diaz gives Rovers victory

Ben Brereton Diaz scored the only goal for Blackburn who closed in on Lancashire rivals Burnley

Ben Brereton Diaz's ninth goal of the season saw Blackburn move within two points of Championship leaders Burnley.

The Lancashire rivals meet in a top-of-the-table derby next weekend, and Rovers sharpened up for that with a sixth consecutive home win which leaves Huddersfield anchored to the bottom.

The Terriers' plan to defend deep and frustrate Rovers was ruined as Diaz raced on to an excellent pass from Harry Pickering before tucking the ball past goalkeeper Lee Nicholls.

That ruined the visitors' defensive plan and Blackburn were almost two up in first-half added time, when Town defender Will Boyle timed his tackle perfectly to prevent Sam Gallagher from taking a Ryan Hedges ball which would have left him with a great chance.

Rovers sat back in the second half and invited Huddersfield pressure, and almost paid for their lack of adventure as Brahima Diarra skipped past a challenge and let fly, with keeper Thomas Kaminski tipping the ball round the post.

Jack Rudoni also came close to cancelling out Diaz's goal, failing to connect properly with a great chance and Kaminski gratefully saved.

Victory capped a good day for Jon Dahl Tomasson's team, after neighbours Burnley lost at Sheffield United in the early kick-off, allowing them to close the gap with their 12th win of the season - the highest in the division.

It was hardly a vintage performance, but gave Rovers a win with which to celebrate the 147th anniversary of their foundation in fitting fashion.

For the Terriers, their dismal run continues - they have yet to win away, and the Ewood Park loss means they have just one victory in six games, leaving them six points from safety.

Blackburn boss Jon Dahl Tomasson told BBC Radio Lancashire:

"I'm delighted. We were a little bit disappointed to come in at half-time still leading 1-0 - we could have done it a little bit better, and we knew how difficult it would be, to be patient and take chances, because we were playing against a wall.

"We spoke about a couple of solutions at half-time and came out very strong, created a couple of chances immediately and had a goal disallowed that probably should have killed the game.

"In the end when you are only leading 1-0 it can be tough, and it was tough in the last period, but big credit to the players and the fans, because that spirit they have, and togetherness they had in defending, and another clean sheet, is great to see."

Huddersfield manager Mark Fotheringham said:

"The last three games feel entirely familiar. You can see the performances - we've limited them, but we just have to take our chances. We have to be more clinical in the box.

"I'm not here to bluff anybody. These players are working so hard and doing a lot of good things, but it feels so familiar.

"We are in a precarious position and we need to start winning games. We have to stay positive, we cannot feel sorry for ourselves. There's no 'hard luck' story to tell here - we just have to score the goals. We're in position six yards out and not connecting with the ball.

"Credit to Will Boyle, who was outstanding on his first Championship start today. That's both off the ball, defensively, and on the ball. He's a leader too, which is important when we have youngsters on the pitch."