Goals: 1-0: Graham (25, sent Randolph the wrong way from the spot after Dijksteel’s stupid foul)
Referee: Jarred Gillett (Liverpool) – annoyed the fans with some decisions and also got the card out too frequently on a pretty routine afternoon. 5
Bookings: Dijksteel (24, foul); Ayala (25, dissent); Cunningham (25, foul); Bennett (31, foul); Johnson (50, foul); Travis (69, foul); Wing (83, foul)
Attendance: 14,012
Entertainment: **
Black Boro
Shots on 3 2
Shots off 11 7
Corners 9 2
Offsides 3 3
Fouls 16 11
BLACKBURN (4-2-3-1): Walton 6; Bennett 6, Williams 6, Lenihan 7, Cunningham 6; Travis 7, Johnson 6; Downing 6 (Rothwell 77), Dack 7 (Buckley 76), Gallagher 7; Graham 7 (Armstrong 70, 5). Subs (not used): Leutwiler (gk), Nyambe, Bell, Evans.
MIDDLESBROUGH (4-3-2-1):
7 Randolph: Made a couple of decent stops including one from Rothwell late in the second half;
4 Dijksteel: Looked disappointed to trudge off the pitch and should still be wondering why he tugged Graham’s shirt
7 Ayala: Had a couple of late headers go close and defended reasonably well when things dropped his way
6 Shotton: The pick of the defenders and made a number of telling blocks and challenges to prevent more Blackburn goals
5 Friend: Had a strong first half but his second half suggested his long lay-off caught up with him;
5 Howson: Didn’t influence things in the final third after being given the chance in the No 10 role he used to love playing
5 Wing: Seen plenty of the ball but was often in the wrong area and the nearest he came was from distance free-kicks
6 McNair: An up and down sort of afternoon but his delivery did create the best chance for Browne to go close late on
4 Johnson: Didn’t do enough to threaten the Rovers defence and made way to accommodate Browne for the final stages
5 Fletcher: Brighter in the first half than he was in the second but unable to threaten Walton in the Rovers goal
4 Assombalonga: Far too isolated in the first half and even in the second half when there was greater support he didn’t look like scoring
Subs: Tavernier (for Dijksteel 62): A few touches here and there without creating a real spark. 5
Browne (for Johnson 70): Hit the post with one of his early touches. 6
Walker (for Friend 83)
(not used): Pears (gk), Bola, Clayton, Saville
MAN OF THE MATCH: Lewis Travis – was a real danger for Blackburn when he went on the attack but he also stopped Boro players in their tracks too.
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