An incredible Blackburn Rovers fightback saw Ryan Hedges’ 91st minute equaliser put a stop to Huddersfield Town’s three-game win streak, though Neil Warnock’s side remain unbeaten in five in their fight for survival in the Championship.
Goals inside the opening half hour from Matty Pearson and Jack Rudoni gave the Terriers a 2-0 edge going into the second half, but an early Joe Rankin-Costello goal turned the tide at the John Smith’s Stadium after the interval.
The result leaves Blackburn in sixth place, inside they play-off places as they remain in the hunt for promotion back to the big time.
The Terriers move up to 19th, ahead of Cardiff City.
Story of the Match
Warnock had made one change from the win against Watford, with Joseph Hungbo coming in for Rarmani Edmonds-Green.
Jon Dahl Tomasson brought attacking options Tyrhys Dolan and Adam Wharton back into the line-up in place of scorer Hedges and Sam Gallagher after a disappointing 2-0 defeat at home to Norwich City.
For all the visitors' early spell of possession, Tomas Vaclik in the Town goal was only called into action once in the opening 45 minutes. Rankin-Costello’s shot was saved early on by the Czech international.
Up the other end, the vocal Cowshed Loyal roared on a 15th minute corner for their side, and it was the inswinger which resulted in the opener.
The initial deflected header was saved by Aynsley Pears off his own man, though his reaction save fell to Pearson, who headed into an open goal with Town’s first shot on goal.
The hosts stuck to their task, and Blackburn struggled to break the deep block of Blue and White.
They came close when Sammie Szmodics’ lovely threaded ball picked out Ben Brereton Diaz, but the winger’s attempt was off target.
Rovers’ momentum was disrupted again when Hungbo’s low-ball in was swept home by Rudoni, who’d got in front of Hayden Carter.
Warnock’s side were two up in the opening 23 minutes with the John Smith’s reacting with “Town are staying up”, but it was the traveling support the loudest of the two after the break.
One way traffic after the break
Tomasson’s side were first out for the second half, and it was them the more dangerous early on.
Most of Blackburn’s good work in the first half came down the left-hand side, and that was the case for their first goal.
Dolan picked out Rankin-Costello, who dinked coolly over the onrushing Vaclik to pull one back.
Blackburn sought a second throughout, and it came in the 91st minute after all of Vaclik’s heroics.
Rankin-Costello’s powerful header was stopped by Vaclik, but the rebound fell to substitute Hedges who tapped home in front of the 2,246 Blackburn supporters.
Player of the Match
After the starting the Blackburn fightback, the number 11 came close a number of times in the second half.
On another day, the former Manchester United schoolboy could’ve gone home with the match ball.
