Harry Leonard had only previously made four substitute appearances for Blackburn
Harry Leonard and Dilan Markanday scored on their first league starts to give Blackburn victory against West Brom.
The opening day of the Championship season was a miserable one, however, for Baggies manager Carlos Corberan, who was sent off for two yellow cards as his team’s second-half fightback was not quite enough.
Teenage striker Leonard and 21-year-old winger Markanday scored within two minutes of each other in the first half for an excellent start to their season as Rovers looked to build on last season where they just missed out on the play-offs.
Matt Phillips pulled one back for the visitors in a much brighter performance after the break but the West Midlands side could not find the equaliser.
The opening round of Championship games had pitted two sides who were seemingly heading in different directions at the end of last season, against each other.
Rovers slipped out of the play-off places with a dismal finish to that campaign, while the Baggies had shown promotion form after Corberan had taken the reins as they sat in the relegation places – and only finished three points behind their opponents.
The loss of key players Ben Brereton Diaz, Bradley Dack, Thomas Kaminski and Ash Phillips had further deepened the gloom at Ewood Park, while optimism was rife at The Hawthorns.
Rovers were quickest out of the blocks, however, as Markanday won the ball to start a counter-attack, Leonard and Lewis Travis carrying on the move before Markanday – who spent much of last season at Aberdeen on loan – finished well.
From the re-start, Sammie Szmodics intercepted and played in Leonard, given his chance after the summer departures, for his first senior goal.
The travelling Baggies fans voiced their displeasure at half-time and within five minutes they had fresh hope as Phillips finished a slick move with a curling finish.
Corberan was yellow-carded for protesting that an arm had been used as Joe Rankin-Costello made one of two crucial blocks to deny Jayson Molumby, and was red-carded soon afterwards for more dissent.
Line-ups
Blackburn
Formation 4-2-3-1
1Pears
11Rankin-Costello17Carter5Hyam3Pickering
27Travis6Tronstad
18Markanday8Szmodics10Dolan
20Leonard
1Pears11Rankin-CostelloSubstituted forBrittainat 77’minutes17CarterBooked at 48mins5Hyam3Pickering27TravisBooked at 29mins6TronstadSubstituted forA Whartonat 59’minutes18MarkandaySubstituted forHedgesat 59’minutesBooked at 87mins8SzmodicsBooked at 30mins10Dolan20LeonardSubstitutes2Brittain14Ennis16S Wharton19Hedges21Buckley23A Wharton25Batty30Garrett34Hilton
West Brom
Formation 4-2-3-1
24Palmer
2Furlong6Ajayi4Kipré3Townsend
35Yokuslu14Chalobah
7J Wallace8Molumby10Phillips
21Thomas-Asante
24Palmer2Furlong6Ajayi4KipréBooked at 53minsSubstituted forBartleyat 72’minutes3Townsend35YokusluBooked at 45minsSubstituted forMowattat 72’minutes14ChalobahSubstituted forSwiftat 66’minutes7J WallaceBooked at 55mins8MolumbySubstituted forGardner-Hickmanat 85’minutes10PhillipsSubstituted forSarmientoat 71’minutes21Thomas-AsanteSubstitutes5Bartley15Pieters17Sarmiento19Swift27Mowatt29Gardner-Hickman31Fellows32Malcolm33Griffiths
Live Text
Match ends, Blackburn Rovers 2, West Bromwich Albion 1.
Second Half ends, Blackburn Rovers 2, West Bromwich Albion 1.
Tyrhys Dolan (Blackburn Rovers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Darnell Furlong (West Bromwich Albion).
Hayden Carter (Blackburn Rovers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Brandon Thomas-Asante (West Bromwich Albion).
Attempt blocked. Jed Wallace (West Bromwich Albion) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Jeremy Sarmiento.
Harry Leonard (Blackburn Rovers) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Semi Ajayi (West Bromwich Albion).
Attempt blocked. Hayden Carter (Blackburn Rovers) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
Corner, Blackburn Rovers. Conceded by Darnell Furlong.
Corner, Blackburn Rovers. Conceded by Kyle Bartley.
Ryan Hedges (Blackburn Rovers) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Ryan Hedges (Blackburn Rovers).
Brandon Thomas-Asante (West Bromwich Albion) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Corner, Blackburn Rovers. Conceded by Kyle Bartley.
Attempt blocked. Tyrhys Dolan (Blackburn Rovers) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Callum Brittain.
Substitution, West Bromwich Albion. Taylor Gardner-Hickman replaces Jayson Molumby.
Attempt missed. Sammie Szmodics (Blackburn Rovers) left footed shot from the left side of the box is too high. Assisted by Harry Leonard.
Attempt blocked. Tyrhys Dolan (Blackburn Rovers) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Callum Brittain with a cross.
