REPORT: THREE ON THE SPIN FOR UNITED!

REPORT: THREE ON THE SPIN FOR UNITED!

Goals from Bamba and Antenucci seal a 2-1 win at Ewood Park...

BLACKBURN 1 (Jackson 89), UNITED 2 (Bamba 34, Antenucci 69)

Blackburn team: Steele, Marshall, Duffy, Hanley, Spurr, Lenihan (Grimes 76), Akpan, J. Gomez (Conway 71), Bennett, Watt (Jackson 63), Graham. Subs: Brown, Ward, Evans.

United team: Silvestri, Berardi, Bamba, Bellusci, Taylor, Diagouraga (Murphy 90+3), Bridcutt, Mowatt (Dallas 74), Cook, Antenucci, Doukara (Wood 85). Subs: Grimes, Wootton, Carayol, Botaka.

Referee: Keith Stroud

Booked: Hanley (Blackburn), Berardi, Bellusci, Cook, Antenucci (United)

Att: 16,071 (3,344 United)

The lunchtime trip to Blackburn Rovers saw United head coach Steve Evans make just the one change from the midweek victory at Cardiff City, with Toumani Diagouraga returning to the side in place of Luke Murphy in midfield.

It was a lively start to proceedings at Ewood Park, with both sides making their intentions clear during the early exchanges. Liam Bridcutt had United's first effort on goal, driving forward before dragging wide from distance, while Danny Graham called Marco Silvestri into his first save of the day with a looping header from Tommy Spurr's cross.

The hosts threatened again as Tony Watt crept behind the United defence and looked to cut the ball back from a dangerous position, only for Gaetano Berardi to be well-place to hack away the danger.

Shane Duffy then towered a header over Silvestri's crossbar after meeting Elliott Bennett's free-kick from the right, but it was United who came closest to an early opener as Alex Mowatt saw his curling free-kick somehow clawed away by a stunning Jason Steele save as it hurlted towards the top corner.

With just one point separating the two teams in the Championship table ahead of kick-off, the end-to-end manner in which the game got underway came as little surprise. That continued with sights of goal at opposite ends for Watt, flicking a header wide of the far post, and Souleymane Doukara, forcing Steele into a smart low save to clutch his 25-yard effort.

Silvestri, on the back of a heroic display in South Wales the previous Tuesday night, made a big save to deny Graham as the on-loan striker escaped the United defence to go through on goal one-on-one, before United went up-field an broke the deadlock on 34 minutes.

Mowatt's inswinging corner caused panic in the Blackburn defence, where captain Sol Bamba charged in to volley the ball into the roof of the net from six yards out to the delight of the travelling supporters.

Bamba's second goal of the season sparked a controlled end to the first half for his Leeds side, with the visitors untroubled for the 10 minutes that followed as the lead was taken into the break.

The two sides re-emerged unchanged and the second half began in an as equally as lively fashion as the first, with Graham glancing a corner wide of the far post within just four minutes of the restart, before Lewis Cook skewed a 25-yard strike well wide of Steele's goal at the opposite end.

United's first real opening of the second period came following some smart link-up play between Antenucci and Doukara, exchanging a quick one-two 25 yards out before Antenucci's first-time effort was held by Steele.

But the in-form Italian striker soon managed to double United's advantage, netting his fourth goal from his last three games with an ice-cool lofted finish from inside the area after being played in by Mowatt on a swift counter-attack.

United were good value for their lead and the result appeared to be beyond doubt following Antenucci's goal, but substitute Simeon Jackson pulled one back late on for the hosts, hammering the ball home from six yards out after a corner had fallen into his path, to set up a nervy finale.

Evans' side held out during six minutes of added time, though, and recorded a third consecutive league victory for he first time since February last season.

 

X