A stunning fightback from Blackburn Rovers saw Sam Allardyce's men come from behind to take the local bragging rights in style at Ewood Park as Burnley's horrendous away form continued.Owen Coyle's men made the perfect start when Robbie Blake put them ahead with an impressive goal inside three minutes of this crackling East Lancashire derby.
But that was as good as it got for the visitors. The impressive David Dunn equalised just five minutes later before further goals from Franco Di Santo, his first since joining on loan from Chelsea, and Pascal Chimbonda before half time left Burnley with no way back and still pointless away from home this season despite substitute Chris Eagles'sconsolation goal at the death.
REACTION:
Allardyce hailed the contribution of Dunn and insisted he was playing some of the best football of his entire career after watching him provide the quality Blackburn needed to come from behind and secure a crucial win.
Dunn equalised to cancel out Blake's opening goal for Burnley and went on to produce an outstanding all-round display. He is out of contract at the end of this season, but on this evidence Allardyce admits he will be more than happy to sit down and discuss a new one to keep him at the club.
Allardyce said: "It was a great response from us considering what happened at Arsenal and we produced some real quality. I thought we thoroughly deserved to be 3-1 up and the contributions of Dunny and Di Santo were excellent. I thought they were fantastic for us from start to finish.
"Dunny's goal was top quality and brought us right back into the game. The first thing we've had to do with him is make sure he is fit on a consistent basis. Then we have to make sure he knows what he needs to do in the team and on the training ground. We've found a position for him to play just off the front striker and he's looking as good as I've seen him in a long time.
"Because he's performed so well in this role I've not been able to pick one of my other three strikers. He's doing a terrific job for us in there and has the sort of quality every team needs.
"He'll be getting his agent to knock on my door at this rate and it's something we will deal with when the time is right."
The result leaves Burnley still without a point away from home this season, but manager Coyle is refusing to panic and believes there were still plenty of positives to take from the game, despite it ending in defeat.
Coyle said: "There was a ten minute period in the first half when we conceded two sloppy goals and this has cost us.
"I thought Brian Jensen was fouled for the second goal. That was my initial thought. But overall I didn't think we contributed enough to get something from the game.
"The third goal was disappointing, but we showed our character and quality in the second half and had some good chances. There are still a lot of positives to take from the game.
"If people want to keep writing us off then they will do so at their peril. We have 12 points and I'm delighted with that at this stage of the season. Okay, we're disappointed to lose a local derby and there are things we need to work on, but we will dust ourselves down and move on. We'll go again and that first away win will come, I've no doubts about that."
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Burnley had no answer to the skill, vision and workrate of Dunn. Allardyce is finally getting the best out of the midfielder after deciding to play him in the hole just behind his lone striker and it paid dividends when it mattered most in the game Blackburn want to win more than any other. His guile was the difference between the two teams as Burnley capitulated before the interval to concede two goals and leave themselves with too much to do.
Coyle's men couldn't cope with Dunn or the direct approach of the home team and appear to be a different side to the one which has produced some stunning wins on home soil this season. Coyle must find a way to get Blake more involved away from home. He looked isolated on the left wing once again and unless he is on the ball more and pulling the strings, then Burnley will struggle to break opponents down.
WHAT IT MEANS:
Blackburn can now go into the next two fixtures, against Chelsea and Manchester United, in confident mood. It will still be a struggle for them to get any points from these games but at least their spirits will be high on the back of this deserved win. Burnley must find a way to win on their travels, or at least be harder to beat, because it is doubtful whether they can win enough matches at Turf Moor to survive in the Premier League.
QUOTABLE:
"This is an early birthday present for me and I'm delighted. I've thanked the lads for that."
Sam Allardyce suggests that his best gift has already arrived.
BLACKBURN ROVERS 3 (Dunn 8, Di Santo 20, Chimbonda 42) BURNLEY 2 (Blake 3, Eagles 90)
PLAYER MARKING:
Blackburn Rovers (4-5-1): Robinson 7; Jacobsen 7, Nelsen 7, Samba 7, Chimbonda 7 (Givet 86); Diouf 6 (Emerson 82), Nzonzi 7, Andrews 6, Pedersen 6; Dunn 8; Di Santo 7 (Roberts 75, 7).
Subs (not used): Brown, McCarthy, Emerton, Salgado, Hoilett.
Burnley (4-5-1): Jensen 7; Mears 6, Carlisle 7, Caldwell 7, Jordan 6; Bikey 7 (McDonald 78), Elliott 7, Alexander 6, Fletcher 6 (Eagles 60, 6), Blake 7; Nugent 6 (Thompson 85, 6).
Subs (not used): Penny, Duff, Gudjonsson, Kalvenes.
ATTENDANCE: 26,689.
NEXT UP:
- Blackburn v Chelsea (away) Premier League, Saturday (24/10), 17.30 GMT
- Burnley v Wigan (home) Premier League, Saturday (24/10) 1500 GMT
MAN OF THE MATCH:
David Dunn (Blackburn): He looked pumped up at the start and so it proved as the midfielder ran the show, scoring one, setting up another and running the Burnley defence ragged from start to finish. Could the fact Dunn used to be on Burnley's books but grew up dreaming of playing for his hometown club Blackburn have had something to do with it?
