Blackburn retained the lead at the top of the League One table following Saturday’s victory at Walsall, which was just as well as promotion rivals Shrewsbury and Wigan – who have several games in hand – both won too.
It was admitted by Tony Mowbray that we hadn’t been at our best but a ‘professional performance’ got the job done at the Banks’s Stadium.
Adam Armstrong’s ball across the six yard box was tucked away by Danny Graham to put Blackburn ahead early on. Had Darragh Lenihan not cleared George Dobson’s effort off the line a few minutes later Walsall would have levelled.
That fortune worked in Rovers’ favour when Graham doubled the lead midway through the first half, heading home a Jack Payne knockdown from Elliott Bennett’s cross.
Walsall, after Armstrong had hit the crossbar, were back in the game on the stroke of half time, David Raya failing to collect a corner he came for allowed Jack Fitzwater to pull one back for the home side, but it wasn’t enough to deny Rovers the points.
Victory was the most important thing for Mowbray, despite his admission we hadn’t been at our very best. That being so he still feels the game could have been out of sight by half time.
He told the Official Website: ‘We were a bit flat. We have to take the points and we’re happy with that but we could have been out of sight in the first half. We played very well. Danny did what Danny does and could have scored more, [Adam] Armstrong had a strike tipped onto the underside of the bar.’
Adding: ‘We got a kick in the stomach at the death in the first half which was really, really disappointing. We were frustrated at half time and the goal game them the impetus.’
Had it been three before Walsall pulled one back then Mowbray feels the Saddlers ‘probably wouldn’t have attacked’ as much as they would have simply ‘been defending to save an embarrassment.’
It was what it was though and the boss will, taking all things into account, happily take a win, which was the most important thing.
Mowbray finished: ‘We weren’t very good in the second half. We had two players vomitting at half time and wanted to see how they got on. We lacked energy and drive in the second half. We’ll call it a professional display.’
