Blackburn Rovers beat Derby County 2-0 at Ewood Park.
Blackburn Rovers manager Tony Mowbray has lavished praise on Joe Rothwell after the winger put in a devastating display during his side’s 2-0 win over Derby County, Rovers.co.uk reports.
“He can be better than he showed tonight. He can go across the pitch at times, but when he straightens someone up he’s devastating at times,” Mowbray explained.
“He’s taken time to play his position and do his job in and out of possession, but we’ve always known his talent – that’s the reason we bought him. He’ll make this club really strong in the future, and it’s about adding experience alongside these young players to go from strength to strength.”
Rovers came into the match with the Championship play-off hopefuls having lost nine of their last 11 games. However, you wouldn’t have noticed that following what happened at Ewood park.
Rovers thoroughly deserved their three points as they dominated Derby from the get-go. The hosts racked up a total of 23 shots on goal compared to Derby’s six, and they often ran the visitors ragged.
Rothwell joined Rovers from Oxford United last summer and he has largely featured off the bench. He has only made eight Championship starts this term, with another 20 appearances coming on as a substitute.
But Mowbray’s comments suggests he has high hopes for the winger, and his performance against the Rams was an illustration of what he is capable of doing when given the right kind of service.
Victory consolidates Blackburn’s position in lower mid-table and all but assures their safety. Now, Mowbray can begin to experiment a little and plan ahead to next season with a push for the playoffs their likely target.
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