Eustace’s verdict on Blackburn Rovers penalty appeal
John Eustace felt Blackburn Rovers should’ve had a penalty against Cardiff City after Callum Brittain’s shot was blocked by an arm.
The game ended nil-nil in South Wales in what was a drab game that neither team deserved to win. Chance were at a premium and Rovers only had one clear-cut opportunity.
Brittain’s shot was blocked by the arm of Dimitrios Goutas before breaking to substitute Tyrhys Dolan, who was denied by an excellent save from Ethan Horvath.
Eustace felt that Rovers could’ve been awarded a penalty for the initial shot but admitted a point apiece was a fair result.
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“Yeah, I thought we could’ve had one, I was right behind it,” Eustace told The Lancashire Telegraph.
“I thought it looked like handball. It wasn’t given and then we had a big chance just after. Disappointed not to score.
“We have a really nice group of players! I’d have liked to have seen them appeal a bit more maybe but the point is a fair result. The players can be as nice as they want if it went to VAR!
“We did have a good chance after that to score and we didn’t. We’re taking the positives from the game.”
It was not a classic encounter in Cardiff, with both teams showing a lack of quality in the final third. Neither team showed enough on the ball to open the either up.
Aynsley Pears made a few decent stops to keep out Kion Etete and Rubin Colwill whilst Horvath reacted when called on at the other end.
Eustace admitted it was a poor-quality game but wanted to take the positives after Rovers’ first clean sheet since November.
“I thought it was a very poor game, particularly in the first half. I am delighted with a point,” he said.
“It was our first clean sheet in 17 games which is a massive positive. Second half I thought we controlled the game in possession, we were better with the ball.
“First half it was not a spectacle for sure. It’s been very evident since we came in that we want to be better with our defending.
“It was important we stopped conceding, we had the worst defence in the league when we came in. It was important we clawed that back in the goals-against column and draw other teams back.
“I thought we defended really well, limited them to a couple of chances. I thought we had the best chance of the game which Ty (Dolan) on another day might put away.
“It wasn’t a spectacle but what a massive plus that is, first clean sheet in 17 games. We had lost our last six or seven away games, now back-to-back draws. Another positive.”
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