Sat 2nd Sep
Kick-off15:00

PLY Argyle

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BLA Blackburn

Blackburn Rovers Preview

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The Game
Argyle v Blackburn Rovers. Home Park. Saturday, 2 September. 3pm. Sky Bet Championship.

The Opposition
Blackburn have accrued seven points from their four league games so far. They began with a 2-1 home win over West Bromwich Albion, before heading to Rotherham United, where they drew 2-2. In their second home game, against Hull City, Rovers had Harry Pickering sent off in the first half, and although Sam Gallagher put Blackburn in front, Hull turned the game around and won 2-1. In their most recent league fixture, last Saturday, Blackburn won 1-0 at Watford, with Ryan Hedges (below) on target. 

Ryan hedges celebrating

Goals have flowed in Blackburn's Carabao Cup ties. In round one, they beat Walsall 4-3, and on Wednesday night, in the second round, they set a club record for an away win by winning 8-0 at Harrogate Town. 

The Gaffer
Jon Dahl Tomasson was appointed at Blackburn in the summer of 2022, and took Rovers to seventh place in the Sky Bet Championship in his first season at the helm. His previous managerial experience came at Malmo, where he won the Swedish title in both seasons, and got them to the Champions League group stages. 

Jon Dahl Tomasson

As a player, Tomasson came to England to play for Newcastle United in 1997, having impressed in the Netherlands for Heerenveen. He struggled with the Magpies, but went on to have an excellent career, playing for Feyenoord, Milan, Stuttgart and Villarreal. He is also Denmark's joint top goalscorer of all time, with 52. 

The Squad
Blackburn possess two former Argyle forwards in their squad. Niall Ennis, who scored Argyle's promotion sealing goal last season, left Home Park for Rovers in the summer. Thus far he has made two substitute appearances in the league, and scored on his only start, in the Carabao Cup. 

Niall Ennis

Sam Gallagher never made an appearance for Argyle's first team, but the Crediton-born forward came through the Argyle Academy before signing for Southampton aged 17. He joined Blackburn for a loan spell in 2016/17, and returned to Ewood Park permanently in the summer of 2019. He has now played over 200 games over both spells, and have scored 46 goals. This season, his league appearances have all been from the bench.

Sammie Szmodics scored both goals for Blackburn in the draw at Rotherham. The midfielder scored seven goals in 41 games last season, having signed from Peterborough United. In attack, Tomasson has been going with teenage striker Harry Leonard. The highly-rated prospect scored his first professional goal in Rovers' opening day win against West Brom. 

Fancy a Stat?
The last time an Argyle player scored four goals in a game was when Tommy Tynan scored all of Argyle's goals in a 4-3 win over Blackburn in November 1988. 

The History
Argyle have played Blackburn 50 times, the first encounter coming in 1936. Argyle have won 20 of those contests, Blackburn 19. The sides last played in the 2017/18 season, with Argyle winning the home game 2-0, and drawing at Ewood Park, 1-1.

Prior to that, the last games came in the 1991/92 season. In October 1991, Argyle lost 5-2 in Kenny Dalglish's first game as Blackburn manager, then in the final game of the season, Blackburn won 3-1 to clinch a spot in the play-offs - which they would go on to win - seining Argyle down in the process. 

Tickets
The game is sold out for home supporters.

If you have a season ticket and cannot attend, you can make your ticket available via the Ticket Exchange and receive face value credit if your ticket is resold. Find out more about the Ticket Exchange.

Argyle TV
Commentary will be provided by Charlie Price and Aaron Cusack.

Argyle TV’s pre-match show, hosted by David Wooldridge and Katie Middleton, will begin at 2pm, and is available to watch for free on YouTube.

Domestic supporters can listen to audio commentary on Argyle TV, while international supporters can buy a match pass to watch the game, here.

Home kit on sale

Ryan Hardie scores against Blackburn

Argyle 3
Azaz 27
Hardie 77
Cundle 81

Blackburn Rovers 0

After two last-gasp Championship defeats, Argyle were clinical and ruthless in their defeat of a lively Blackburn Rovers at Home Park.

The visitors showed their potential prowess in a bright start but the Greens struck a decisive opener, as a deflected effort from Finn Azaz flew into the net on 27 minutes.

An entertaining game remained in the balance until Ryan Hardie poached a match-winning second and the gloss was added by a lovely lob from substitute Luke Cundle.

Argyle boss Steven Schumacher made one change from the starting 11 that took the field against Birmingham City last weekend, with Dan Scarr replaced in defence by Julio Pleguezuelo.

Rovers arrived at Home Park fresh from a battling 1-0 win at Watford on Sunday, followed by a brutal 8-0 demolition of Harrogate Town in the Carabao Cup, and both sides were sharp and incisive with their early passing.

The first chance fell to Morgan Whittaker, latching on to a delightful threaded pass from Jordan Houghton, but Harry Pickering made the recovery tackle.

Rovers replied with a glorious opening for Ryan Hedges, who scuffed his shot wide with the goal gaping. Blackburn continued to threaten with a sweeping move, culminating in Sammie Szmodics steering over from 20 yards.

Sam Gallagher then planted a header on target but, thankfully, down the centre for Conor Hazard to tip over.

The Greens changed the pattern with a swift counter, Hardie racing into the left channel for a strike deflected over the bar. Adam Randell took up the initiative, sliding a lovely pass into the opposite channel for Hardie, who fired wide of the near post.

Gradually, Argyle were gaining a foothold, with Aynsley Pears forced into his first save from a Bali Mumba back-post header. The next Pilgrim attempt hit the back of the net.

The ball was moved wide for Hardie, shifting it inside to Whittaker, who did the same for Azaz, and he had a pop from just outside the box, with a hefty deflection off Adam Wharton completely wrong-footing Pears for a welcome opener.

Naturally buoyed by the goal, Argyle were now in full ascendancy, Azaz forcing a corner and combinations working perfectly all over the pitch, with Whittaker forcing a smart stop from Pears at the near post.

A dipping effort from Whittaker prompted another decent Pears’ save and a half of two halves concluded with a terrific block tackle from Pleguezuelo ensuring the 1-0 lead stayed in place at the interval.

Hardie was first to prosper after the restart, with a move started by a precision pass from Lewis Gibson. The Argyle number nine forced Pears into a parry before firing the rebound over. The Rovers riposte was a Hayden Carter header drifting wide from a corner.

The Pilgrims were turning the screw, Houghton breaking up play yet again and feeding Randell for a curling effort sent inches over but Blackburn came back with a fluid counter. Thankfully, Szmodics hooked the final shot past the post.

After a succession of home corners, Argyle’s first two changes came on the hour, Cundle and Callum Wright replacing Azaz and Randell, but the focus was immediately on Kaine Kesler-Hayden with a superb goal-saving interception from a low cross.

Argyle were still asking questions at the other end, Mumba fizzing over a cross volleyed over by Hardie from a tight angle. Another top tackle from Kesler-Hayden preceded the introduction of Mickel Miller for Mumba.

The crucial second goal arrived on 77 minutes, Callum Wright forcing a low save from Pears and Hardie, enjoying a tremendous start to the Championship campaign, was in the right place to slide the ball into the waiting net.

The job was done with a sumptuous goal from Cundle. Hazard pumped the ball forward, Pears didn’t deal with his attempted clearance and Cundle, following up from his cracker in the Carabao Cup loss to Crystal Palace, guided a delicious lob into the empty net.

Ben Waine and Scarr replaced Hardie and Joe Edwards for the late procession to maximum points, as Argyle enjoyed the closing minutes, basking in the Home Park sunshine with a splendid victory.

Argyle: 21 Conor Hazard; 2 Bali Mumba (14 Mickel Miller 71), 4 Jordan Houghton, 5 Julio Pleguezuelo, 8 Joe Edwards (capt) (6 Dan Scarr 82), 9 Ryan Hardie (23 Ben Waine 82), 10 Morgan Whittaker, 17 Lewis Gibson, 18 Finn Azaz (11 Callum Wright 61), 20 Adam Randell (28 Luke Cundle 61), 29 Kaine Kesler-Hayden. Substitutes (not used): 25 Callum Burton (gk), 7 Matt Butcher, 16 Lewis Warrington, 19 Tyreik Wright.

Booked: Whittaker 36, Hardie 41

Blackburn: 1 Aynsley Pears, 2 Callum Brittain, 3 Harry Pickering, 5 Dominic Hyam, 8 Sammie Szmodics, 9 Sam Gallagher (20 Harry Leonard 62), 17 Hayden Carter, 19 Ryan Hedges (37 Tom Bloxham 79), 23 Adam Wharton, 24 Andy Moran (10 Tyrhys Dolan 62), 27 Lewis Travis (capt) (30 Jake Garrett 79). Substitutes (not used): 12 Leopold Wahlstedt (gk), 6 Sondre Tronstad, 15 Patrick Gamble, 16 Scott Wharton, 22 Zak Gilsenan.

Booked: Pickering 88

Referee: Stephen Martin

Attendance: 16,067 (1,148 away)