Huddersfield Town 2, Blackburn Rovers 1
Naby Sarr scored a 90th minute winner for Huddersfield Town as they beat Blackburn Rovers in their own War of the Roses.
Sarr’s opening goal was a centre half’s classic header but his winning goal was a striker’s finish after Sam Gallagher thought he had rescued a point with 4 minutes to go but late goalmouth drama was to light up a Town game once again.
With resources still stretched after recent injuries to key players Town were unchanged from the side that lost in injury time at Barnsley on Boxing Day and both sides started aggressively.
Lewis O’Brien accidentally clattered Tom Trybull early on and the Rovers midfielder had to be replaced by Lewis Holtby after just 11 minutes.
Rovers had a couple of early half chances with Harvey Elliott’s shooting wayward at sight of goal while Pipa sent Town’s first real chance wide after 18 minutes.
Juninho Bacuna forced the first save of the game from Thomas Kaminski in the 26th minute – palming away a mid height shot from the Town forward.
Seconds later it was Town keeper Ryan Schofield making a fantastic save at his near post from Bradley Johnson’s rebound shot after Harry Toffolo blocked his initial effort as Rovers counter attacked.
Kaminski saved from Bacuna while Armstrong shot wide with chances emerging freely for both sides.
Adam Armstrong rippled the side netting after a right wing cross by Ryan Nyambe – the forward was in plenty of space after Rarmani Edmonds-Green slipped while tracking back but the Rovers man could not capitalise.
Toffolo hit the side netting with a quickly taken shot after Isaac Mbenza’s right wing cross evaded everyone in the Blackburn box.
Ben Brereton had a penalty claim turned down just after the restart after standing on Pipa’s foot before going down, referee Matthew Donohue wasn’t impressed.
O’Brien looked to have broken free of the defence shortly after that but Darragh Lenihan tripped him as he went past and the Rovers defender was booked and perhaps fortunate not to see the red card for his cynical trip.
Naby Sarr opened the scoring in the 53rd minute from a Town corner by Isaac Mbenza, rising unchallenged to head the ball back inside the Rovers goal – his second goal of the season.
Adam Armstrong wasted a couple of presentable chances for the visitors as Town blocked his effort while Lewis O’Brien’s square ball across the six yard box went unconverted as Town passed up the chance to extend their lead.
Campbell’s header from the subsequent corner was straight at Kaminski and also tried an audacious chip over the Rovers keeper after spotting him off his line but overcooked it.
Late drama as Huddersfield Town beat Blackburn Rovers thanks to last minute Naby Sarr winner
The visitors made a triple change in the 65th minute, bringing on Bradley Dack, John Buckley, and Sam Gallagher for Harvey Elliott, Joe Rothwell, and Nyambe.
Carel Eiting shot over after Toffolofo cut the ball back to him at the edge of the area with 20 minutes to go.
And Rovers boss Tony Mowbray quickly made their final change, bringing on Stewart Downing for Daniel Ayala as he gambled on all-out attack.
Town deserved more from a smooth counter attack that saw O’Brien cut the ball back for Toffolo who screwed the ball wide after a smart dummy by Mbenza allowed the midfielder the space to get to the byline.
The visitors were seeing more of the ball in the final 15 minutes and Town had to defend more than they would have liked.
Aaron Rowe was Carlos Corberan’s first change, coming on for Mbenza in the 84th minute.
But the Terriers couldn’t hold out and Sam Gallagher tucked in the loose ball after Schofield couldn’t hold on to Armstrong’s fierce 86th minute shot.
Corberan’s second change saw Alex Pritchard coming on for Juninho Bacuna in the 89th minute.
And there was late drama in the 90th minute when Sarr scored his second goal of the night controlling Pipa’s lob into the area before picking his spot with a left footed shot – a goal which delighted as well as surprised his team mates after he ghosted in from the back post.
Campbell could have made it 3-1 but Kaminski saved his injury time effort as Town decided to hold on for the win with Jaden Brown coming on for Eiting.
And Bradley Johnson could only spoon a cross over the bar as time ran out for the visitors.
GOALS – Huddersfield Town 2, Blackburn Rovers 1
Huddersfield Town 1, Blackburn Rovers 0: 53. Naby Sarr rose unchallenged to head home an Isaac Mbenza corner to put Town into the lead.
Huddersfield Town 1, Blackburn Rovers 1: 86. Sam Gallagher tucked in the loose ball from close range after Ryan Schofield couldn’t hold on to a fierce shot by Adam Armstrong.
Huddersfield Town 2, Blackburn Rovers 1: 90. Naby Sarr scored his second goal of the night controlling Pipa’s lob into the area before picking his spot with a left footed shot from close range.
MATCH STATS – Huddersfield Town 2, Blackburn Rovers 1
Huddersfield Town: Schofield, Pipa, Edmonds-Green, Sarr, Toffolo, Hogg (C), Eiting (Brown 90+5), Bacuna (Pritchard 89), Mbenza (Rowe 84), O’Brien, Campbell
Huddersfield Town subs not used: Hamer, Vallejo, Duhaney, Harratt, Critchlow, Daly
Booked: Pipa 41 (foul on Darragh Lenihan); Campbell 56 (foul on Darragh Lenihan); Hogg 67 (kicking the ball away)
Goals: Sarr 53, 90
Blackburn Rovers: Kaminski, Nyambe, Lenihan (C), Ayala (Downing 72), Bell, Trybull (Holtby 11), Johnson, Rothwell, Elliott (Dack 65), Armstrong, Brereton
Blackburn Rovers subs not used: Pears, Douglas, Davenport, Dolan
Booked: Lenihan (foul on Lewis O’Brien 50); Holtby 89 (foul on Lewis O’Brien)
Goal: Gallagher 86
Referee: Matthew Donohue