Jordan Rhodes goal secures win for Blackburn over old club Huddersfield
Last Updated: April 16, 2013 10:12pm
Jordan Rhodes: On target against old club
Jordan Rhodes came back to haunt his former club as the free-scoring striker grabbed the only goal to sink Blackburn's fellow Championship strugglers Huddersfield 1-0 at Ewood Park on Tuesday evening.
And, having scored when the sides played out a 2-2 draw on the east side of the Pennines in November, Scotland international Rhodes claimed a 25th goal for his current employers - finishing smartly with his back to goal in the 36th minute after caretaker manager Gary Bowyer saw Blackburn take control of a contest played at a frantic tempo.
During a feisty opening lacking clear-cut chances, referee Darren Drysdale showed leniency towards a number of robust challenges before Terriers defender Calum Woods became the first player into the book for clattering through returning Rovers' full-back Markus Olsson in the 16th minute.
A moment of genuine quality arrived midway through the half as Blackburn worked the ball left via a pair of 50-50 challenges for Josh King to unleash a swerving 25 yarder that Huddersfield goalkeeper Alex Smithies pushed behind.
Lee Williamson forced Town skipper Peter Clarke to head a dinked cross behind following some clever footwork and the former Sheffield United midfielder saw his volley blocked from the resulting corner.
Such pressure told as Rhodes once again demonstrated his supreme poachers' instincts, hooking home a close-range volley after Scott Dann headed David Jones' corner back towards goal.
Displaying a verve seldom seen this season, Blackburn surged forward in search of a second but Huddersfield avoided further damage before the break.
Boss Mark Robins sought to remedy a toothless Terriers attack by sending on Jermaine Beckford for midfielder Oliver Norwood at half-time and the ex-Leeds striker saw Rovers goalkeeper Grzegorz Sandomierski save his 49th-minute header, albeit in routine fashion.
At the other end, Leon Best dragged a volley wide from Rhodes' cushioned header and the Republic of Ireland striker went on to test Smithies on the half-volley from 20 yards with an hour played.
Despite those opportunities, Blackburn's earlier assurance had deserted them and James Vaughan sprung the offside trap in the 69th minute before his touch let him down.
Sandomierski was fully extended by an acrobatic Beckford volley on the turn and Rovers were increasingly pinned inside their own penalty area.
On-loan Chelsea defender Todd Kane executed an excellent tackle on Town winger Sean Scannell with no margin for error inside the box in stoppage time, while Blackburn sub David Goodwillie almost applied late gloss to the scoreline.
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npower Championship
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cardiff City | 46 | 87 |
| 2 | Hull City | 46 | 79 |
| 3 | Watford | 46 | 77 |
| 4 | Brighton and Hove Albion | 46 | 75 |
| 5 | Crystal Palace | 46 | 72 |
| 6 | Leicester City | 46 | 68 |
| 7 | Bolton Wanderers | 46 | 68 |
| 8 | Nottingham Forest | 46 | 67 |
| 9 | Charlton Athletic | 46 | 65 |
| 10 | Derby County | 46 | 61 |
| 11 | Burnley | 46 | 61 |
| 12 | Birmingham City | 46 | 61 |
| 13 | Leeds United | 46 | 61 |
| 14 | Ipswich Town | 46 | 60 |
| 15 | Blackpool | 46 | 59 |
| 16 | Middlesbrough | 46 | 59 |
| 17 | Blackburn Rovers | 46 | 58 |
| 18 | Sheffield Wednesday | 46 | 58 |
| 19 | Huddersfield Town | 46 | 58 |
| 20 | Millwall | 46 | 56 |
| 21 | Barnsley | 46 | 55 |
| 22 | Peterborough United | 46 | 54 |
| 23 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 46 | 51 |
| 24 | Bristol City | 46 | 41 |
