Blackburn extend unbeaten start after battling back to draw with Reading

Posted Thursday, August 23, 2018 by PA

Charlie Mulgrew netted a brace of second-half penalties as Blackburn mounted an impressive comeback to draw 2-2 with Reading and preserve their unbeaten start to the Sky Bet Championship season.

Reading looked to be heading for their first win this term after a dominant first-half in which Jon Dadi Bodvarsson notched a brace of his own with a deft 12th-minute finish and an emphatic second midway through the half – the Royals’ first away league goals since March.

They will be aggrieved not to have taken the points and captain Paul McShane was chief culprit, twice committing needless fouls in the area. Both times, Mulgrew tucked away penalties.

It means Rovers stay unbeaten in the league at home since September 2017. Reading, meanwhile, have still not tasted victory on the road since January, and their difficult start to the season continues.

Blackburn’s Kasey Palmer and matchwinner Bradley Dack missed out from the win at Hull – Joe Rothwell made his first Rovers start as part of two alterations.

Paul Clement welcomed Sone Aluko back in one of three changes from defeat to Bolton.

Rothwell was agonisingly close to marking his full league debut with a spectacular goal when he found space on the edge of the area to fire a thunderous shot towards the top corner, only to see the ball rattle the post.

Rovers would have taken a 10th-minute lead but for a sensational Vito Mannone save, who flung himself to his left to claw away Adam Armstrong’s curling effort destined for the top corner.

They were made to pay for profligacy two minutes later when Leandro Bacuna’s speculative ball was only partially headed back by Darragh Lenihan and Bodvarsson beat David Raya in a foot race to coolly flick into an empty net.

It settled the Royals, who pounced again in the 25th minute when Yakou Meite’s powerful low header was repelled brilliantly by Raya, but Bodvarsson reacted quickest to emphatically hammer home the rebound – his third strike this season.

Lenihan could have atoned for his error just before the break but his weak free header was easy for Mannone.

Rovers were handed a route back in six minutes after the break when McShane crudely felled Elliott Bennett in the area.

Mulgrew hammered his penalty down the centre to give Blackburn hope.

By now, Rovers were the dominant force but got another helping hand from McShane 14 minutes from time.

This time the captain brought down his opposite number Mulgrew, who dusted himself down to calmly place his penalty into the left corner and out of Mannone’s reach.

Substitute Joe Nuttall headed on to the roof of the net late on, while Marc McNulty flashed one wide, but neither side could force a winner.