Up and running…at last!

Following on from the lacklustre, dis-jointed and generally poor display against Doncaster, it was more in hope than expectation that I along with another 2000 Rovers fans travelled over the Pennines to face Bradford City who hadn’t lost a home league game since 1st March 2016  – a run which stretched back 31 games and seen them qualify for the play-offs to the Championship for the past two seasons.  The return of Craig Conway to the team gave it some much needed balance and with Bradley Dack playing just behind Dominic Samuel and Elliot Bennett on the other side, you could actually see how Tony Mowbray was going to line up in what (on paper at least) was going to be our toughest test in a decidedly poor start to the season thus far.

It was pretty clear from the outset that Bradford weren’t the force I thought they were going to be and Rovers quickly got a hold of the game, through the engine room of Corry Evans and Richie Smallwood who for me ran the show in midfield – when was the last time we could say that about a middle two for Rovers?  Smallwood in particular putting himself about, winning tackles, breaking up play and generally protecting the still shaky centre back partnership of Elliot Ward and Charlie Mulgrew, although who to be fair coped very well with the every increasing route one approach from Bradford as the clock ticked towards 90 minutes.  On the evidence of this match, Smallwood has the makings of an upgrade on the still unattached Jason Lowe, the man who Owen Coyle deemed worthy of being club captain last season and Smallwood is also in danger of becoming a firm fans favourite with the crap but very catchy chant which fans in both stands occupied by Rovers fans yesterday seemed to embrace with ever louder vigour as the match progressed.

The full-time whistle brought a mixture of joy and relief from the fans and as at Nottingham Forest last season, Mowbray seemed to do a quick post match team talk in a huddle on the pitch with the players and coaching staff.  When they broke, they were met with a huge cheer and things couldn’t have been more different to when they trudged off the pitch in a near deserted Ewood just 7 days ago.  All in all a relatively comfortable win away from home against a team who have shown over the last two seasons will be there or thereabouts come the business end of the season next April.  So onto MK Dons next Saturday, who also won yesterday and got their first points of the season against Gillingham.  Barring any injuries I would be starting with the same eleven and providing the team can show the same professionalism, solidity and create some chances there is no reason why we shouldn’t record back to backs wins.  However before that there is the small matter of Burnley in the League Cup at Ewood on Wednesday night and for the first time that I can remember in my 30 years of going to watch the Rovers, we’ll go into the match as underdogs against a Premier League team who surprised everybody (including themselves no doubt) by beating Chelsea away on the opening day of the season and then in true ‘Rovers style’ followed it up by losing at home to West Brom.  There is no doubt that their management, players and fans alike will take the game much more seriously than at the same stage of the competition last year when they lost to Accrington Stanley thanks to an extra time goal from Rovers loanee, Matty Platt.  Both managers will no doubt be under pressure to play a full strength team, when given the chance I’m sure that they would much rather play a few fringe and youth players and although it won’t be a capacity crowd down at Ewood, for various reasons, I’m sure that there will be a cracking atmosphere and hopefully we can sneak a win – the chance for somebody to make themselves a hero.

A visit to Valley Parade (or whichever commercial sponsor has their name attached to it) isn’t complete without going to see the modest yet dignified memorial near the entrance to the main stand commemorating the loss of 56 lives during the awful events which unfolded on 11th May 1985.  The thing that immediately struck me was how many of the people were of an age where they probably survived service in the Second World War, yet lost their lives watching a football match close to home as they probably had done for years, if not decades previously.  It also brought to mind the potential death traps that wooden stand were, none more so than the old Nuttall Street stand complete with wooden seats and a single person walk way that ran along the back of the stand, with from memory (I only ever went in there for reserve games) no other real point of exit should the worse happen.

Two wins and three points over the next seven days will do nicely, thank you very much.  Thankfully we are up and running…at last!

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