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Championship | Gameweek 38
Mar 16, 2019 at 3pm UK
 
Blackburn logo

4-2

Fletcher (10'), Nuhiu (60'), Iorfa (79'), Mathias (86')
FT(HT: 1-0)
Conway (72'), Bennett (88')

Wednesday's play-off hopes remain alive after Blackburn win

Wednesday's play-off hopes remain alive after Blackburn win
© Reuters
Bruce's men in good form.

Sheffield Wednesday kept their play-off hopes alive thanks to a 4-2 win over Blackburn.

Goals from Steven Fletcher, Atdhe Nuhiu, Dominic Iorfa and Marco Matias gave Steve Bruce's men the points which leave them two points outside the top six with eight games to play.

Craig Conway and Elliott Bennett scored for Blackburn, who were never ahead in the game. Rovers remain without an away win since January 12.

Sam Winnall was handed his first start for Wednesday since August 2017, the striker having subsequently suffered a serious knee ligament injury during a spell on loan at Derby.

Blackburn boss Tony Mowbray made two changes with Joe Rothwell and Corey Evans replacing Adam Armstrong and Amar'i Bell.

Wednesday went into the game on the back of a run of just one defeat in their last 15 games while Blackburn's 3-0 victory over Wigan ended a sequence of seven outings without a win.

During a quiet opening, Blackburn's Bradley Dack tried a shot from distance which went well wide of keeper Keiren Westwood's left-hand post.

Wednesday manager Bruce was forced to make a change when Sam Hutchinson picked up an injury with Joey Pelupessy taking his place in midfield.

Fletcher struck in the 10th minute to put the hosts ahead, applying a close-range finish after meeting Iorfa's low cross.

Adam Reach then burst into the area and fired in a shot which was beaten away by David Raya.

As Wednesday continued to press, Michael Hector headed against Raya's left-hand post from a Reach cross and Winnall put an overhead kick wide.

Sloppy defending nearly allowed Dack to find a way through but the ball fell kindly for Westwood, who was able to claim it.

When Dack threatened again, Westwood was forced to make a save down low to his left, parrying the striker's shot.

Blackburn had a great chance early in the second half when Rothwell's cross picked out Danny Graham but the striker put his header wide at the far post.

Nuhiu, who had joined the action just two minutes earlier, made it 2-0 on the hour-mark when he got on the end of a Barry Bannan free-kick, directing his header beyond Raya.

Reach tried an audacious effort from fully 45 yards after spotting Raya off his line and the keeper was relieved to see the ball go wide.

Wednesday skipper Tom Lees was then on hand to cut out the danger, clearing a probing cross from Conway, who had come on in place of Harrison Reed.

Mowbray made a double substitution in 68th minute, taking off Graham and Evans and sending on Armstrong and John Buckley, the latter making his debut.

Blackburn pulled a goal back when Rothwell squared to Conway (72) inside the area and he fired confidently past Westwood.

Iorfa (79) restored the home side's two-goal advantage, firing into the net when the ball fell to him inside the area after Bannan's free-kick caused problems for the Blackburn defence.

After Hector bravely blocked Dack's goalbound shot, Matias (86) scored Wednesday's fourth, applying the finish following good work from Bannan. Raya got a hand to the ball but only succeeded in diverting it into the net.

Bennett (88) scored Blackburn's second goal after finding himself in space inside the area but they failed to stage a late comeback.

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Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd20135228111742
2Leeds UnitedLeeds20125336142241
3Burnley2010822471738
4Sunderland20107329151437
5Blackburn RoversBlackburn1910452317634
6West Bromwich AlbionWest Brom2071122314932
7Middlesbrough209473425931
8Watford199462725231
9Swansea CitySwansea207672119227
10Norwich CityNorwich206863530526
11Bristol City206862525026
12Sheffield WednesdaySheff Weds207582329-626
13Millwall196762017325
14Derby CountyDerby216692626024
15Preston North EndPreston2041062026-622
16Luton TownLuton2064102335-1222
17Coventry CityCoventry205692529-421
18Stoke CityStoke205692126-521
19Queens Park RangersQPR204972026-621
20Oxford UnitedOxford Utd194692030-1018
21Portsmouth193882134-1317
22Cardiff CityCardiff1945101730-1317
23Plymouth ArgylePlymouth1945101940-2117
24Hull City2037101828-1016


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