Blackburn Edge Past Boro To Go Second In Championship

London, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 25th Jan, 2022 ) :Sam Gallagher's goal earned Blackburn Rovers a 1-0 win at home to Middlesbrough as the northwest side moved up into second place in English football's Championship.

Only the top two at the end of the regular season are guaranteed promotion to the elite Premier League and Rovers' victory saw them go three points clear of third-placed Bournemouth, who have a game in hand.

Table-toppers Fulham are five points in front of Blackburn, having also played 27 league matches to Rovers' 28 games.

Blackburn were without 20-goal top scorer Ben Brereton Diaz, away on international duty with Chile.

But they still had enough firepower to beat Boro, with Gallagher's 76th-minute goal giving Blackburn manager Tony Mowbray a win over his former club.

Defeat ended Middlesbrough's run of four straight wins and left them seventh in the table, just outside the play-off places.

The visitors had arguably the better chances, with Matt Crooks having a header cleared off the line and Aaron Connolly going close in injury time.

But in a match where the second half was stopped for nine minutes while a supporter, later announced to be "conscious and breathing", received medical treatment, it was Rovers who scored the only goal of the game.

After Paddy McNair failed to clear, Gallagher swivelled before he unleashed a superb shot into the bottom corner to the delight of the Ewood Park faithful.

In the 12 minutes of stoppage time caused mainly by the medical emergency, Boro twice squandered chances to draw level.

Connolly lashed a shot over the bar before Crooks headed above the woodwork from point-blank range.