Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship clash between Blackburn Rovers and Preston at Ewood Park as two goals from Ched Evans and one each from Ben Woodburn and Ben Whiteman secured a crushing Lancashire derby win for Ryan Lowe's North End
Saturday 10 December 2022 17:41, UK
Preston served Lancashire rivals Blackburn a harsh wake-up call and illustrated their own automatic promotion credentials with a 4-1 win at Ewood Park.
Ben Woodburn got North End up and running in snowy conditions when he scored after 17 minutes and in-form Ched Evans swept in a second after Rovers were caught playing out from the back (47).
A neat finish from Bradley Dack reduced the deficit (55), but a superb header from Evans and a 20-yard drive from Ben Whiteman (65) made sure of a thumping derby triumph for the visitors.
Victory for Ryan Lowe's men - on his 50th match in charge - sees them climb to fifth, two points behind third-placed Rovers and seven behind Sheffield United in second.
In bitter conditions, it took a while for the derby to start flowing, with the early rhythm disrupted by a premature exit for Blackburn's Callum Brittain, who came off worse after a heavy 50/50 with Ryan Ledson.
Rovers began to concede cheap fouls and though they were not punished by the set-pieces that followed, they found themselves behind after a slick move that saw Woodburn stroke the ball home after being located by Evans.
Defensive pair Scott Wharton and Dominic Hyam then stood in the way of shots from Daniel Johnson and Brad Potts to keep the hosts in the game, while at the other end, Ben Brereton Diaz had a penalty appeal turned down after he went down under the challenge of Greg Cunningham.
Blackburn fans made their frustration clear with boos when the half-time whistle was blown - and within two minutes of the restart, they returned when Evans swept home Johnson's square ball after Rovers were caught playing out from the back.
On his first league start since September 3, Dack hooked one in to offer hope for Jon Dahl Tomasson's side - who already had lost every one of the nine games they had fallen behind in - but that hope was extinguished when Evans connected with Cunningham's peach of a cross to re-establish the two-goal cushion.
And two minutes later, a deft touch from Johnson on Alvaro Fernandez's cross set up Whiteman to add a fourth with a drive from the edge of the penalty area that added the deserved gloss.
Andy Hinchcliffe on Sky Sports Football:
"One of the best all-round attacking displays I've seen this season. He brought everything today."
Blackburn's Jon Dahl Tomasson:"It was a very disappointing performance. When we played the ball, we didn't play quick enough. Didn't have enough players who were prepared to make runs forward. We played too many balls backwards instead of playing the ball forward. We lost more or less every duel.
"We've had some great wins at Ewood Park, some great performances. Today was very bad and I feel sorry for our supporters. The players need to take that and that is not going to happen again because we've created a bit of a fortress here but today was not a fortress at all."
Preston's Ryan Lowe: "Outstanding, I must say. Very good. I thought they took the instruction on spot on. The game plan worked to a tee, stuff we've been working on and credit where credit's due to the group. They were fantastic.
"We want to be a little bit more expansive in terms of on the front foot, getting in people's faces. I thought in possession and out of possession we were fantastic."
Both teams are back in action on Saturday December 17. Preston host QPR at Deepdale at 3pm, while Blackburn travel to Carrow Road to take on Norwich at 5.30pm, live on Sky Sports Football.
