Blackburn 2-2 Birmingham: Craig Gardner and Che Adams earn draw for Blues
17th December 2018
Che Adams has scored 10 goals for Birmingham this season
Birmingham City scored two goals in two minutes at Ewood Park to earn a draw against Blackburn Rovers in the Championship.
Blues trailed 2-0 with just 12 minutes left, before Craig Gardner's penalty and Che Adams' close-range strike brought them level.
It had looked like another comfortable victory for Rovers after Danny Graham headed in his ninth goal of the season from Harrison Reed's free-kick to give the hosts a first-half advantage.
Substitute Adam Armstrong doubled the lead in the first minute after the break, drilling in Bradley Dack's clever backheel from a tight angle, before the late drama.
Blackburn have lost just one of their last 34 home league games, including a long unbeaten stretch during last season's promotion from League One, but will rue not putting the game to bed against a Blues side who have a poor record at Ewood Park.
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Birmingham looked to be heading to a third loss in their past five matches until they were given a lifeline when goalkeeper David Raya fouled Maxime Colin in the box and Gardner superbly hammered home the spot-kick.
The unmarked Adams then made it 2-2, matching strike partner Lukas Jutkiewicz's 10-goal haul for the season.
He finished off Jutkiewicz's low cross from close range to secure a 10th draw of the season for both sides, which puts 10th-placed Blues and 12th-placed Rovers each on 31 points, five outside the play-offs.
Blues were hit by the early loss of defender Marc Roberts on his first Championship start of the season.
Deputising for skipper Michael Morrison, he went off with a calf injury after just nine minutes and will have a scan later in the week.
Blackburn Rovers boss Tony Mowbray:
"It's quite amazing to think we threw away two points having worked so hard to get into a 2-0 lead in difficult conditions for football. We shot ourselves in the foot.
"There was a swirling wind, rain for 90 minutes and it wasn't a great game because the conditions didn't allow for getting the ball down and playing too much football.
"We manufactured our way to drop two points. But we have to accept it and be frustrated by it. We've come back from 2-0 down ourselves, at home to Reading, that's the way it is.
"It's a disappointing dressing room because we had the points in the bag. They didn't have a shot in the second half up until David goes walkabouts in his penalty area and gives a penalty away. Then it's some pretty poor positional play for the second goal."
Birmingham City boss Garry Monk:
"We knew it was poor from us in the first half, especially. But it's an excellent point for us and a fantastic response to being two down.
"It was just a case of the conditions and everything that comes with that, but they did the basics much better. We didn't in that first half.
"We came in a goal down and talked about it at half time, and to go out in the second half and concede again straightaway doesn't make it any easier.
"But you need character. You need attitude. You need to be able to show a response, and we did that. It's an extremely difficult place to come and get points."
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Line-ups
Match Stats
Live Text
Line-ups
Blackburn
1Raya
2Nyambe
26Lenihan
14Mulgrew
17Bell
29Evans
6SmallwoodBooked at 90mins
4Reed
23Dack
32ConwaySubstituted forArmstrongat 18'minutes
10GrahamSubstituted forBreretonat 70'minutes
3Williams
7Armstrong
8Rothwell
13Leutwiler
19Brereton
25Downing
45Palmer
Birmingham
1Camp
5Colin
4RobertsSubstituted forHardingat 9'minutes
12Dean
3Pedersen
7MahoneySubstituted forJotaat 56'minutes
6KieftenbeldSubstituted forGardnerat 56'minutesBooked at 90mins
20Gardner
19Maghoma
9AdamsBooked at 74mins
10Jutkiewicz
8Gardner
14Bogle
23Jota
25Dacres-Cogley
27Trueman
31Lakin
45Harding
Referee:
Tony Harrington
Attendance:
13,622
Match Stats
Home TeamBlackburnAway TeamBirmingham
Possession
Home60%
Away40%
Shots
Home8
Away12
Shots on Target
Home5
Away6
Corners
Home2
Away2
Fouls
Home11
Away13
Live Text
Posted at
Match ends, Blackburn Rovers 2, Birmingham City 2.Full TimePosted at 90'+4'
Second Half ends, Blackburn Rovers 2, Birmingham City 2.
Posted at 90'+4'
Attempt missed. Jacques Maghoma (Birmingham City) left footed shot from a difficult angle on the left misses to the right. Assisted by Che Adams.BookingPosted at 90'+3'
Craig Gardner (Birmingham City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.Posted at 90'+3'
Ryan Nyambe (Blackburn Rovers) wins a free kick on the right wing.Posted at 90'+3'
Foul by Craig Gardner (Birmingham City).Posted at 90'+3'
David Raya Martin (Blackburn Rovers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.Posted at 90'+3'
Foul by Gary Gardner (Birmingham City).Posted at 90'+2'
Attempt saved. Gary Gardner (Birmingham City) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.Posted at 90'+2'
Delay over. They are ready to continue.Posted at 90'+1'
Delay in match Wes Harding (Birmingham City) because of an injury.BookingPosted at 90'+1'
Richard Smallwood (Blackburn Rovers) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.Posted at 90'
Foul by Richard Smallwood (Blackburn Rovers).Posted at 90'
Harlee Dean (Birmingham City) wins a free kick on the right wing.Posted at 89'
Amari'i Bell (Blackburn Rovers) wins a free kick on the left wing.Posted at 89'
Foul by Jota (Birmingham City).Posted at 89'
Offside, Birmingham City. Lukas Jutkiewicz tries a through ball, but Che Adams is caught offside.Posted at 87'
Corner, Birmingham City. Conceded by Darragh Lenihan.Posted at 87'
Attempt blocked. Jota (Birmingham City) left footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Harlee Dean.Posted at 85'
Offside, Birmingham City. Gary Gardner tries a through ball, but Che Adams is caught offside.Posted at 84'
Foul by Ben Brereton (Blackburn Rovers).Posted at 84'
Harlee Dean (Birmingham City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.Posted at 84'
Offside, Blackburn Rovers. Harrison Reed tries a through ball, but Ben Brereton is caught offside.Posted at 82'
Attempt saved. Bradley Dack (Blackburn Rovers) right footed shot from a difficult angle and long range on the left is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Amari'i Bell.
Goal!Posted at 80'
Goal! Blackburn Rovers 2, Birmingham City 2. Che Adams (Birmingham City) right footed shot from very close range to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Lukas Jutkiewicz.Posted at 79'
Attempt saved. Ben Brereton (Blackburn Rovers) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Harrison Reed.
Goal!Posted at 78'
Goal! Blackburn Rovers 2, Birmingham City 1. Craig Gardner (Birmingham City) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the centre of the goal.Posted at 77'
Penalty conceded by David Raya Martin (Blackburn Rovers) after a foul in the penalty area.Posted at 77'
Penalty Birmingham City. Maxime Colin draws a foul in the penalty area.BookingPosted at 74'
Che Adams (Birmingham City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.Posted at 74'
Amari'i Bell (Blackburn Rovers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.Posted at 74'
Foul by Che Adams (Birmingham City).Posted at 72'
Richard Smallwood (Blackburn Rovers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.Posted at 72'
Foul by Kristian Pedersen (Birmingham City).SubstitutionPosted at 70'
Substitution, Blackburn Rovers. Ben Brereton replaces Danny Graham.Posted at 70'
Darragh Lenihan (Blackburn Rovers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.Posted at 70'
Foul by Harlee Dean (Birmingham City).Posted at 69'
Corner, Birmingham City. Conceded by Darragh Lenihan.Posted at 67'
Hand ball by Che Adams (Birmingham City).Posted at 61'
Foul by Darragh Lenihan (Blackburn Rovers).
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Source: bbc.com