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Phew! Gallagher sublime backheel setting up Hedges winner was full compensation for all his misses, miscontrols and being in the wrong place for balls across the box. That 5 points gap to Norwich looks lovely and they had Marquinhos straight redas an added bonus. Incidentally I have often thought I watched a different match to the official statistics reporters. At half time Rovers had 1 chance and 0 crosses. Probably woke up for the second half but the match numbers are probably those for the second half only ...

Something that JDT is unafraid to do is drop a player after a stinker and he has done that to Dolan tonight.

Reading absolutely battered us at the Used Car Stadium. Yes they have injuries and yes Ince was a disaster managing at Ewood but given what he has had to work with, he is one of the Managers of the season for Reading to have done what they have. Carol could easily bully us and Joao always scores against Rovers. Travis and Thomas have to watch themselves for bookings tonight as well. Is it a card happy ref tonight?- if so we could be crippled for Norwich and Huddersfield irrespective of players recovering from injury by then. I am more than half expecting JDT to surprise us with line up and formation. Whatever he does, JDT has the buy in and faith of the players and that counts for an enormous amount in this dog eat dog league. Fingers and toes crossed for 3 points but Reading won't be lying down this evening.

Every club except the dingles have dropped silly points on paper. We are still in 6th and that would buy a ticket to the lottery.

Dreading Travis getting a booking tonight. If Thomas gets one as well.... Otherwise I am not as worried about the midfield as some on here. Szmodics can probably do a deeper lying job as an option.

Morton has had his poor games and goal conceding moments but is a class player who has been showing more grit recently. Tonight is not a must win but will make more future games must wins if we don't. Plus drive anxiety levels skywards so 3 points please lads.

So you are in favour of him walking away for free without a contract?

Any news on his injury? Hope he is OK but it looked nasty so fearing the worst.

Blackburn Rovers @Rovers · 53s https://abs-0.twimg.com/emoji/v2/svg/1f6d1.svg Our additional allocation for the upcoming #EmiratesFACup quarter-final has now 𝗦𝗢𝗟𝗗 𝗢𝗨𝗧! 5,700 #Rovers fans will be cheering on the boys at Bramall Lane on Sunday. A phenomenal effort! https://abs-0.twimg.com/emoji/v2/svg/1f44f.svg

Very sad news about Ben Fyles doing his ACL. Hope he fully recovers.

Don't care how we get them- JDT can pick Rovers ladies for all I care- but 3 points please.

Very welcome Sunderland win keeps Norwich in 7th 3 points behind us and Sunderland interested in the play-offs- important looking at who they play in their next 6 fixtures. Thank you Tony.

Had Gally had that ridiculous booking by then? That could be the only reason for not stopping the guy by the corner flag. A positive was the injection of the three subs made a big positive difference. JDT showed faith in his eleven at half time but they didn't repay him.

Looking at todays fixtures, I cannot see any other club in the top 10 dropping points. Will be a bonus if any do.

Really expected us to lose that one with nobody available from the over sized squad taken to Stoke. Great result. Now need to secure our PL2L1 place.

Yes. Need to make sure Reading don't become the second.. Hope Buckley is not badly injured but fear the worst from the close ups when he was being treated. Collectively we left all our good habits behind from the tenth minute. Dolan in particular is going to hate seeing the video analysis of his performance. Did any 20 yard + forwards pass find their intended Rovers target. It seemed every forward ball in the first half gathered pace off the pitch and the front players didn't reach anything. There was a nervous rubbish keeper in the Stoke net and there was only Travis shot from distance. The Stoke positions denied clear space but instead of quickening play around and through them we slowed down. Totally unexpectedly we got back within a goal but even then there was no throwing the kitchen sink to grab an equaliser. And as for that ref. The lack of Rovers competing made for an easy game for him but he was hopeless. Missed two blatant penalties at the end of the first half he was looking straight at. He must have realised he bottled that Hyam trip when a few seconds later he didn't give the Gayle hand ball.

Stoke won 90% of their tackles. Rovers committed 1 foul. Who needs xg with two stats like that?

That Attenborough decision totally stunned me.

We won - a nice Stonehouse goal - but I have never seen so many grown men crying at the end of a game, even on the train back to London. And that crush getting out was scary too.

https://www.meteoblue.com/en/weather/webcams/keele_united-kingdom_7292467 They don't seem to do webcams in Stoke. Snow free in Crewe nearby but well covered on the highground of the Staffordshire Moorlands. With the current weather forecast I would guess we are OK if the stadium approaches are being cleared and salted. Denise Coates can probably afford the Stoke City electricity bill..

To sell a player for reinvestment, you need an offer of a decent amount of cash. Rothwell apart, that hasn't happened. And there would have been demonstrations at Ewood last January is 2nd placed Rovers had cashed in by selling to 3rd placed Bournemouth.

If postponed and we win at Bramall Lane, we are are looking at a Saturday Tuesday Thursday Monday last nine days of the season. Rovers should already be in a hotel close to the stadium and ground covering heating working but can approaches and the stadium itself be made safe for spectators?

Whenever I watch a Rovers game with non-Rovers supporters, it is always Dolan who catches their eye. That rabona cross at Leicester!

Chelsea game interesting last night. Dortmund looked the much better coached and Bellingham easily the best player on the field. But man for man the other Chelsea players were easily superior and Dortmund didn't give it much of a go considering the quality of their support.

We finished on 69 points so took just 1 point a game to the season end last year. Sheffield United and Luton in 5th and 6th both ended with 75 points. Will be devastating to only take 11 points from our 11 remaining games again this time around.