Premier League 2, First Division 2018-19
       Lancashire FA County Ground, Leyland
         Friday 28th September 2018, 7pm.

            BLACKBURN    v     SPURS
          (Blue/White)     (All Dark Blue)
             4-2-3-1          4-1-4-1

               1(1)             3(3)

            Andy Fisher  1  Thomas Glover
          Charley Doyle  2  Tariq Hinds
             Jack Evans  3  Jaden Brown
      William Tomlinson  4  Luke Amos(C)
          Hayden Carter  5  Japhet Tanganga
          Joe Grayson(C) 6  George Marsh
           John Buckley  7  Paris Maghoma
             Brad Lyons  8  Oliver Skipp
         Okera Simmonds  9  Shayon Harrison
        Dan Butterworth 10  Tashan Oakley-Boothe
            Stefan Mols 11  Jack Roles

          George Wilson 12  Dylan Duncan
                            (9)33Mins
       Charlie Albinson 13  Jonathan De Bie
            Jalil Saadi 14  Timothy Eyoma
              Jack Vale 15  Jonanathan Dinzeyi
              (2)46Mins     (11)90Mins
        Mitchel Candlin 16  J'Neil Bennett
              (9)61Mins     (4)20Mins

Scorers:-
         Butterworth 40     Harrison 3, 28
                            Maghoma 44

Coaches:-
         Damien Johnson     Wayne Burnett

Attendance:– 255

Referee:– Simon Mather
Assistants:– Nicholas Hawksby & Elliott Heward
Fourth Official:– John Mulligan

Spurs travelled to Blackburn Rovers on Friday evening looking to get back on track after the 6-0 hammering on Sunday at Everton. The hosts, having drawn their last two games against Arsenal and Swansea, have yet to win since being promoted over the summer and they prop up the table.

Spurs lined up with Glover making his first appearance of the season in goal behind Marsh and Tanganga with Hinds at right back and Brown on the left. Amos anchored the midfield with Skipp and Roles ahead of him. They were flanked by Oakley-Boothe on the right and Maghoma on the left in support of Harrison up front.

Spurs defended the North end in the first half which saw the hosts make a quick start attacking with pace but Spurs scored with their first attack. Amos won the ball in the middle and laid it off to Skipp. Skipp sent Oakley-Boothe away down the right and his early deep cross found Harrison racing in at the far post to finish. The strikers momentum was such that he went head over heels after making contact with the ball.

Blackburn responded with a free kick by Grayson that went over the bar. Roles played in Skipp on the right but his effort was wide. Amos went down chasing a ball and had to go off for an enforced change with Bennett coming on. He went to the left side of midfield with Maghoma moving inside and Skipp dropping to anchor the midfield. The captains armband was taken by Hinds.

Fisher saved from Maghoma before Butterworth took a free kick quickly that went wide of the Spurs goal. The kick had been given against Tanganga on Simmonds which could have been bad for the Spurs defender if the referee had had time to assess it. Roles caught Carter in possession in the home area and laid it off to Harrison at the near post who scored past the advancing Fisher for his and Spurs' second.

The home side had a spell of pressure that saw Butterworth played in but mis-hit his effort ten yards from goal. Harrison was caught by a defender and had to go off and be replaced by Duncan who went into centre midfield with Roles going up front.

Mols fired over before Burnley pulled a goal back. Skipp had played a square ball that was intercepted by Butterworth who ran from right to left before firing back across goal. Blackburn were now pushing for an equaliser with Simmonds firing wide and Glover saving from Mols. Spurs regained their two goal lead when Roles's reverse pass opened the home defence for Maghoma to beat his man and go round the keeper to slot in number three before the break.

Blackburn made an attacking change for the start of the second half which saw Spurs looking to control the game and not lose anyone else to injury. Maghoma had an early chance saved before Butterworth won a corner from Glovers' save. After Grayson hit his free kick over, Roles's effort from distance was saved. Maghoma drove wide before Bennett held off Lyons to get through only for the ref to pull him back for a Spurs free kick.

Mols fired wide of the near post from Evans's cross. Spurs managed the half well with Roles firing wide just before he was replaced by Dinzeyi in the last minute. They had managed the game so well that there was only one minute of added time.

Spurs' pass and move style of play was too good for the home side who could not get in many tackles of note. They did catch a few legs and Brown lost a boot but this was a good team to meet after the loss at Everton. The worry was the injuries to Amos and Harrison with the Barcelona game coming up next week. The win moves Spurs up above Liverpool and West Ham and only three points behind the four clubs on eleven poits at the top of the table. Spurs will play one of those teams - Leicester City - at Hotspur Way next month after they play Arsenal who are also on 11 points.

Ray

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