Blackburn 1-2 West Brom: Phillips praised after star display in win

Blackburn 1-2 West Brom: Alex Mowatt nets a spectacular volley in the first minute before Matt Phillips secures the points for the Baggies at Ewood Park to ensure Valerien Ismael’s side remain unbeaten in the Championship

  • Matt Phillips set up Alex Mowatt for a stunning volley inside the first minute
  • The striker then doubled the lead at the end of the half with a good finish 
  • West Brom held on to win despite Ben Brereton Diaz’s second-half goal

West Brom boss Valerien Ismael said Matt Phillips has a ‘massive part’ to play after setting one up and scoring another in his side’s win at Blackburn.

Phillips crossed for Alex Mowatt to score with a stunning volley in the first minute – his second goal this week.

By this point, Albion had already hit the woodwork once, and Phillips did so again before doubling the lead in the third minute of first-half stoppage time to cap an impressive performance.

Matt Phillips got one goal and an assist during West Brom’s 2-1 victory away at Blackburn

The Baggies have made a good start to the season and sit second place in the Championship

Ben Brereton Diaz was gifted a goal to halve the deficit early in the second half, but the Baggies should have won more handsomely – and would have done so but for Thomas Kaminski and the woodwork denying them twice more.

Albion made it three successive wins to remain in the top two and registered their first win at Ewood Park since December 2011.

Ismael said Phillips carried out his role ‘perfectly’. The manager said: ‘It was a great performance from Matt. I think, since I’ve been here, he will have a massive part, especially the new position as a No9 and it’s important to get the rewards. He works hard all the time.

Valerien Ismael praised Phillips for a ‘great performance’ in his new number nine role

MATCH FACTS

Blackburn: Kaminski, Carter, Lenihan, Ayala, Pickering, Travis, Rothwell (Chapman 78), Buckley (Dolan 73), Clarkson (Davenport 67), Brereton, Gallagher

Subs not used: Butterworth, Cirino, Magloire, Stergiakis

Goal: Brereton 51 

Booked: Travis 

West Brom: Johnstone, O’Shea, Bartley, Clarke (Ajayi 42), Furlong, Mowatt, Livermore, Townsend, Phillips (Diangana 62), Robinson, Ahearne-Grant (Tulloch 90+2)

Subs not used: Reach, Kipre, Button, Tulloch, De Castro

Goals: Mowatt 1, Phillips 45+4

Booked: Livermore, Furlong

‘He missed 10 days due to the virus and now he’s getting better and better. We wanted more physicality from the No9 position and he did the job perfectly.

‘He scored a goal, he gave us a lot of possibility to play in the pocket.

‘Today, we had 23 attempts on the goal, two times hit the crossbar, two times a post. We are on the way with our offensive game and we were strong.

‘The mentality, the togetherness we showed already will be a massive part for the rest of the season. I think it’s great for the guys that we only win games when we work hard together.

‘It’s about the work ethic we put in our training sessions and this is the reward. This is a massive win with the right attitude from us.’

Blackburn’s three-match unbeaten start to the season ended with their first loss in a league game at Ewood Park since April.

Manager Tony Mowbray was frustrated with the ‘embarrassing’ start his team made by conceding so early against his former employers. ‘We gave them a goal, laid it on a plate for them,’ he said.

‘I thought over the 90 minutes, we matched them physically, which you have to do against West Brom because there’s no more direct team in the league.

‘We fought and had a go, and yet we’ve given them a goal start so we’re left frustrated and disappointed. But particularly second half, we more than matched them. We try to get Gallagher wide, drop it on him and play from there, if he wins his header and we get our chance.

‘But we didn’t get the first ball out to Gallagher and they got to the edge of our box and we’re on the back foot straight away. A few scuffed clearances and it was in the back of our net. An embarrassing start to the game, really poor start. But over the 90 minutes, we competed.

‘We are frustrated to lose a goal with the last kick of the first half, but everything else in between and the second half, we competed very well. And that was against a team that undoubtedly will be at the top end of the table come the end of the season.’

Kaminski’s bravery kept the visitors at bay for much of the game. Grady Diangana failed to beat the German from close range and Callum Robinson was twice denied.

It will be a concern for West Brom that they could only score twice from 23 shots on target.

Blackburn’s unbeaten start ended with defeat to a very strong West Brom side on Saturday




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