Blackburn Rovers 1-0 Leeds United: Todd Cantwell penalty seals victory

Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship match between Blackburn Rovers and Leeds United at Ewood Park on Saturday; Todd Cantwell's first-half penalty seals victory for John Eustace's side.

Saturday 30 November 2024 17:42, UK

Todd Cantwell's first-half penalty clinched Blackburn a 1-0 victory over Leeds at Ewood Park as Daniel Farke's side missed out on the chance to return to the top of the Championship.

Sheffield United's defeat of Sunderland a day earlier meant Leeds came into this clash in second spot.

And they fell short in their efforts to leapfrog the Blades after Cantwell's 22nd-minute spot-kick secured Rovers' third successive win and boosted their play-off challenge.

The visitors pressed hard for an equaliser but when they did find the net, Largie Ramazani's 82nd-minute effort was ruled out for offside.

And had Cantwell made more to two good second-half chances, Blackburn's margin of victory might have been even greater.

John Eustace's side were boosted by the midweek win at in-form Middlesbrough and they almost carried on where they left off when Yuki Onashi headed against the bar.

It took Leeds time to settle but Farke's side began to threaten once they got into their stride.

And they would have taken a 16th-minute lead but for an excellent save by Aynsley Pears who recovered to deny Willy Gnonto after the winger had pounced on the Blackburn keeper's poor pass.

But just as the visitors were threatening to take control, a clumsy challenge by Ao Tanaka on Tyrhys Dolan gifted Rovers the chance to make the breakthrough.

Dolan worked his way into the Leeds box from the right but was bundled to the ground as Tanaka came across to cover and Cantwell held his nerve to convert the resulting spot-kick to give Blackburn a 22nd-minute lead.

Another defensive mistake - this time Danny Batth's under-hit backpass - almost allowed Leeds a way back into the game but Pears was again quick to react.

Leeds' first-half frustrations were summed up when Brenden Aaronson sent a miscued volley over the bar.

And the task confronting Farke's side would have been even greater had Ohashi been able to make more of a chance early in the second half.

The forward was denied by Joe Rodon's covering tackle and from that point Blackburn's efforts were largely focused on defending their lead.

Pears was once again a central figure as Rovers battled to hold on to the advantage.

The keeper did well to cut out Gnonto's cross with an unmarked Jayden Bogle lurking behind him.

And he then produced an even better save to keep out Pascal Struijk's header after the Leeds defender rose to meet Joe Rothwell's free-kick.

Cantwell could have made the game safe when he scuffed to late attempts in front of goal.

And after Ramazani's effort was disallowed, Leeds rarely looked like finding a way past Pears.

The managers

Blackburn's John Eustace:

"It was an outstanding performance. I'm very proud of the group anyway the attitude that the boys have shown ever since I come into the football club has been outstanding

"But today's performance was very good after a real good performance at Middlesbrough on Wednesday and is really pleasing.

"I think it's just very, very important that no one gets carried away with the highs and the lows. The Championship is relentless and when we lose a couple of games in a row, it's important that you you stay positive and keep believing.

"So to have three wins in a row now is really pleasing. That's our seventh clean sheet out of 17 games. They're good stats, and we just keep working hard and building on good foundations that we set."

Leeds' Daniel Farke:

"We started bit too slow and especially in the beginning, gave too many unnecessary free-kicks and fouls away. The penalty was more or less the same situation. I don't want to be too critical, so lazy is perhaps a bit too harsh, but we started too slowly.

"We should have a bit more on it in the first half, should have invested a bit more. We should have been a bit quicker, quicker in the head. But we were not.

"Of course, it was the third game within six days but also I don't want to search for excuses, so today, I think the slow start was reason that we lost this game."