Bowyer: Disappointing We Haven’t Taken Something

Blackburn Rovers started The SkyBet Championship season with a 2-1 defeat against Wolverhampton Wanderers at Ewood Park on Saturday afternoon, however, there was more than an element of misfortune against us wasn’t there??

As a Blackburn exile I’m only able to go with what Gary Bowyer says (the rest I read and what I see in limited highlights) and he’s said Rovers deserved to take something from their opening day performance. Did we?? I’m reliant on others to confirm this.

The Rovers Manager said we started the match well (Jordan Rhodes) hit the post before Benik Afobe put Wolves ahead. Craig Conway’s deflected effort was pawed into his own goal by Wolves goalkeeper Carl Ikeme, however, then came the controversy as Dave Edwards knocked Nouha Dicko’s cross into the back of David Raya’s net with his hand!! This wasn’t disallowed and proved to be the winner.

Bowyer told The Official Blackburn Rovers Website: “I thought we came out of the traps ever so well. I thought we were terrific for the first 25 minutes of the first half, but then we got caught on the counter and it was a bit of a scruffy goal.

“But the response was magnificent from the players and you think that going in 1-1 at half-time was the least we deserved.

“So then to get caught with the sucker-punch of the second was hard. The players are adamant that it was handball, and you only need to look at the reaction of the Wolves lads to know that.“

It’s got to be said I’d seen Wolves also hit the crossbar in the second half through James Henry, however, we also hit the post late in the match when Fode Koita (who GB says showed glimpses of what he can do) almost had a debut goal to celebrate.

A penalty is also something the Rovers Manager felt should’ve been given for a foul on Adam Henley with GB taking heart from what he saw.

He added: “We encouraged the players to keep going and I felt we did that in the second half.

“Then there’s the big decision with Adam’s penalty, it is quite clearly a penalty and it is disappointing.

“But again we stuck at it and Fode comes on and showed glimpses of what he is capable of. It was a wonderful save to tip his shot onto the post.“

The departure of Rudy Gestede (who scored on his Aston Villa debut!!) meant Rovers are being encouraged to play a different way, which GB also said he thought they’d started well with the adaption needed.

Praise was reserved for the Ewood supporters’ too, GB said this support was terrific and he’s hopeful they saw what we are trying to do in a game he felt we deserved something.

Finally saying: “It is really disappointing that we haven’t taken something from the game because they thoroughly deserved it.”