Oladapo Afolayan's brace secured a vital three points for Blackburn Rovers in a 3-1 win over Millwall at Ewood Park. The victory lifts Tony Mowbray's team out of the Championship's bottom three and provides a major boost after a difficult start to the season.
Afolayan opened the scoring four minutes before half-time, finishing off a move assisted by Sam Morsy. Millwall equalised from the penalty spot through Lyndon Dykes six minutes into the second half, but Afolayan restored Blackburn's lead just seven minutes later, this time set up by Tom Atcheson. Substitute Andri Guðjohnsen sealed the win deep into stoppage time, converting a pass from J. Fevrier.
Mowbray's tactical shift
Manager Tony Mowbray opted for a 5-4-1 formation, a system that ultimately delivered the club's second league win of the campaign. The match was a physical affair, with Blackburn receiving five yellow cards. Hayden Carter was booked early, followed by Sam Morsy and Harry Pickering before the break. Gady Beyuku and J. Fevrier were also cautioned in the second half.
Millwall, managed by A. Neil, enjoyed more possession but were less clinical in front of goal. The visitors had 15 shots but only two were on target, compared to Blackburn's four on target from 18 attempts. Millwall's Zak Sturge, Jenson Metcalfe and Mark Sykes were all shown yellow cards during the contest.
Reaction and context
"It was a performance full of character," Mowbray told reporters after the match. "We needed that response and the players delivered it when it mattered."
The result moves Blackburn up to 18th in the Championship table with eight points from seven games, a significant step forward from their previous position. The win also ends a run of three consecutive defeats in all competitions, with the team's recent form now reading WLLDL.
Blackburn had to handle the match without several key players, including Scott Wharton, Lewis Miller and Yuki Ohashi, who are all currently sidelined. The full list of absentees is available on our injuries page.
Guðjohnsen's late goal, his first for the club since joining, provides positive momentum heading into that away match.
