[themaclad]

Blackburn Rovers
Ewood Park 31/1/2025 20.00 hrs

It's on the TV as about 6700 of us pay our annual visit to the land of the Beverley Hillbillies.

https://www.rovers.co.uk/

MANAGER

https://i.ibb.co/r93r3Jn/Screenshot-2025...080859.png

To be fair rate this fella, decent manager

LAST TIME ON THE PITCH



Form guide

Rovers 3 PNE 11

NOTCHERS



HECK

Paul Heckingbottom feels Friday night’s all-Lancashire clash against Blackburn Rovers has all the ingredients to be a good game.

The gaffer will take his North End side to Ewood Park for an 8pm kick-off, looking to build on their seven-point week and back-to-back victories.

Fans up and down the country will be tuning in live on Sky Sports, while more than 6,000 PNE fans will be crammed into the away end.



Hecky said: “Everyone's looking forward to it. We’re filling our end, which is great. The atmosphere will be good. Night games always have a different feel and I think Friday nights can be different again from a fan's point of view.

“So yeah, we're looking forward to it. It'll be a good game. It's on TV as well. All the ingredients that you think could add to it being a good game are all there.

“It’ll be a great atmosphere because it's a derby and we're taking 6,000 fans there. It's something you should relish and look forward to.

“I think when you throw it all in together, it's one you desperately want to play in, but there's nothing that you want to do differently to prepare.”

North End are facing a Blackburn Rovers side sitting just two points outside of the top six, after enjoying a good start to the season under John Eustace.


They took a point from a goalless draw at Deepdale earlier in the campaign, in a match which saw Sam Greenwood sent off in the first half. Rovers will be looking to get back on track following three successive defeats.

On their league position, Hecky said: “They're up there on merit. We know they probably didn't show their best version against us, I didn't think, at home. I've seen them play a lot better than what we faced the last time.

“We always try and prepare for the best version of whoever we’re playing against. They have dangerous players, especially on the counter. They’re really well organised without the ball and then that lends itself to when they win the ball then being a threat in transition.

“We know we're up against a good side. They've had injuries like us and that's probably taken its toll, but they're welcoming a few back. As I said, all that adds to it being a better game as well.”

THINGS TO DO IN EAST LANCASHIRE ON A FRIDAY NIGHT

WIN THEN LEAVE

The Fitness Test

Jayden Meghoma was forced off with an ankle injury in his home debut last weekend, but manager Paul Heckingbottom expects him to be available for selection come Friday night.

Likewise, Robbie Brady, who finished the Middlesbrough match with a back injury, is also expected to be involved.

Ben Whiteman is the only player definitely set to miss out with an ankle issue which is likely to keep him out “for a while”.

Rovers



Despite a positive start to the season, Blackburn Rovers head into this Lancashire derby after suffering three successive defeats.

John Eustace’s side have spent the majority of the campaign in the top six, with their best string of results so far coming between November and December when they won six on the bounce.

Since then, though, it’s one win in nine in the league. They’ve added Dion Sanderson and the experienced Adam Forshaw to their ranks this month to try and help them in their Play-Off push.

The Officials

Referee: Josh Smith
Assistant Referees: Sam Lewis and Mark Dwyer
Fourth Official: Jeremy Simpson

Josh Smith will referee his second PNE match of the season on Friday, with the first game being the home victory over Coventry City in October.

Smith officiated North End's 4-1 victory at Ewood Park in December 2022, when Ched Evans scored twice and Ben Whiteman and Ben Woodburn were on the scoresheet.

So far this season, Smith has shown 100 yellow cards and one red in 25 matches.

MACS VIEW

Apparently it's our cup final, strange folk those from the East of the County, still living on the fact they won the title 30 years ago mainly because a Frenchman two footed a Crystal Palace fan after being sent off. Seems to be an annual televised game these days usually pours down, depressing place

[themaclad]

Blackburn Rovers 2 Gueye, Cantwell pen Preston North End 1 Potts



Attendance: 21,392 (6,515 PNE fans).

Referee: Mr J Smith.

At 2 down to them we drag ourselves back into the game Jack Whatmough's header which is virtually already in the net, is helped on it's way by Emil Riis virtually on the goal line, sadly for the vast throng in the away end the daft bloody Dane is standing in an offside position, he could have left it and it's 2-1 instead we stay 2 down, given the panic in their defence when we did score we would have had 15 minutes instead of three to get another, which brings me onto Mr Josh Smith, an EFL referee apparently. One down Whatmough and Hyam go for a header, Whatmough has his eyes on the ball Hyam is behind him. Whatmough heads Hyam chin, a clash you get at times during games, Mr Smith gives a penalty, last week at Watford we gave away a free kick in the Watford area for our player heading the ball. No way is that a penalty last night, anyway Cantwell scores 2-0. Deep into injury time Potts goes for a header in the box, gets elbowed in the mouth there is also a possibility the Rovers player handles the ball as well, he gives a throw in.
Potts is down for at least two minutes, throw in taken ball goes out for a corner, he instantly blows for full time, what happened to the Potts injury time?
In fairness though we deserved nothing from the game didn't really start playing until we were two down, substitutes made a difference for us again a mystery Osmajic did not come although learned afterwards he was making pavement pizza's in the dressing room having been ill in the last couple of days.
Losing Storey in the first period was also a blow his replacement Whatmough had a poor game and was easlly brushed aside by Gueye for the goal.
First period they were better never got behind them and were caught on the break several times before Gueye scored, neither keeper had a shot to saveecond period McCann header from a corner which went just ove but we soon reverted to type slow build up and let them catch us on the break. As I said subs made a difference in fact could be argued Evans was our best player, we had chances Riis vollyed over should have hit the target, Evans hit one into the side netting then the goal, boal over from the left, Potts controlled the ball and beat his man and Pears and it's game on, could have got an unlikely poit but Mr Smith was having none of that.

HECK

Paul Heckingbottom didn’t feel his PNE side caused Blackburn Rovers enough problems in the 2-1 defeat at Ewood Park.

The hosts went two goals to the good thanks to a first-half header from Makhtar Gueye and a controversial Todd Cantwell penalty.

Brad Potts scored in the 93rd minute to make things interesting and he was involved again in late drama as he was denied a spot-kick.


Hecky said: “We worked hard in the first half but were too easy to play against. We didn't cause them enough problems and not enough positivity in the final third.

“That's sort of at the forefront of my mind, rather than the positives. We tried to get on the ball. We tried to play with energy but we didn't cause them anywhere near enough problems at the top end of the pitch.

“We weren't positive enough, didn't make them defend enough. As the game wore on, we obviously got better and better at that. The subs played their part in that.”

After going two goals down, PNE seemed re-energised and created a number of opportunities, including one which saw a goal chalked out as Emil Riis was in an offside position when he helped Jack Whatmough’s header over the line.

Potts did superbly well with his goal three minutes into stoppage-time to chest Stefán Thórdarson’s sprayed ball down and finish past Aynsley Pears.


North End’s No.44 then felt aggrieved, along with his North End teammates, when referee Josh Smith waved away appeals for a penalty.

Hecky said: “He did great at the back post. Obviously, we had the goal disallowed. We were making them defend their box a hell of a lot more.

“There was much more physicality at the top end of the pitch, especially when Ched [Evans] came on. We got more bodies around those balls in the box and all of a sudden Blackburn have got the problems to deal with.

“I felt especially if that first one would have counted, it would have been really difficult for them.

“As it turned out we still made it difficult for them. Pottsy did great for that goal. He then does great for the penalty that should have been at the end so that's the frustrating thing. Like I said to the players, we can't use the referee as an excuse. We want to look at what we do and where we need to be better.”

Eustace

John Eustace hailed his side as “fantastic” after a rampant Rovers earned Friday night delight with a 2-1 win against Preston North End at Ewood Park.

In a first-half that Rovers bossed, it took until the final five minutes of the maiden 45, with Makhtar Gueye stooping to nod home from close range.

After Dom Hyam was clashed with Jack Whatmough in the box, referee Josh Smith had no choice but to point to the spot.

Todd Cantwell showed a coolness to slot home as Freddie Woodman dived the other way to double the tally with 12 minutes remaining to add clearer daylight to the scoreline.

With time running out, Brad Potts did grab a late consolation from inside the six-yard box, but it was a case of too little, too late, as Rovers held on to return to winning ways and earn the bragging rights in the all-Lancashire affair.

“We were fantastic tonight, we took the game right to them and the game should have been out of sight in that first-half because we were very, very good,” the boss beamed to RoversTV.

John Eustace Preston North End.jpg
“In the second-half, we had to show a different side to our game and really dig in.

“We scored a really good couple of goals and I thought Makhtar was outstanding tonight.

“There was great build-up for his goal and Ty Dolan showed that quality delivery again, and it’s now three or four that he’s produced from that side now.

“We always look a threat now from set pieces and the challenge on Dom was certainly a naughty one. Quite rightly so, it was a penalty.

“I’m very happy that Todd put the ball in the net. It was a big penalty with a lot of pressure on it, but that’s why he’s been at the level he’s been at.

“We’ve conceded a really sloppy goal and wanted a clean sheet more than anything tonight because we limited them to next to nothing," he added.

“The way the lads battled and fought was there for all to see tonight and the boys worked their socks off.

“The way the boys are fighting for this football club and the supporters is there for all to see, and the supporters are fighting for their players as well.”