Under-21s end regular season with win at Blackburn

Already assured of a place in the top eight and a home tie in the end-of-season play-offs before the game, Wayne Burnett’s side largely dominated proceedings at the Wham Stadium, home of Accrington Stanley, with goals either side of the break from the returning Max McFadden and Tynan Thompson – celebrating his 18th birthday – getting the job done.

Only a six-goal winning margin would have seen us move from eighth spot, with the outcome leaving us on 35 points from our 20 games. Ninth-placed Leicester City now await as we move into the knockout stage of the campaign.

After a couple of early attempts from Rio Kyerematen and Mason Melia, we forged ahead after 13 minutes when Thompson – a lively influence on the left wing all night – drove in from his flank, the ball falling kindly for Callum Olusesi whose deflected shot found McFadden at the back post, with the latter forcing it over the line for his second goal in our colours since his arrival last summer. It meant it was a goalscoring return from a month-long injury lay-off for the versatile player, who operated at right-back in Lancashire.

James Rowswell had to clear Levi Ball’s effort away with the goal gaping as Blackburn tried to respond, but we were controlling the possession in the main and continued to probe, an excellent delivery from Thompson going to waste at the back post with nobody able to connect with it while Melia steered a header wide from Dante Cassanova’s free-kick, Kyerematen tested goalkeeper Nick Michalski from distance and Olusesi saw his low shot at the end of a mesmerising solo run deflected just wide of the near post.

Thompson was key to most of our chances created, seeing a deft angled shot saved on the line by Michalski with James Wilson hooking the rebound wide at the end of the first period before the winger set up Olusesi at the start of the second, only for our captain to have the ball nicked away from him in agonising fashion at the front post.

Blackburn improved after the break and substitute Jayden Sergeant sent a volley over the bar in the wake of a corner, but we took firm control of the game on 51 minutes, Melia winning the ball in our half with Olusesi releasing Thompson on half-way, the wide man breaking forward into space on the left before evading a couple of defenders and finishing clinically from a tight angle. Sergeant went close again for the hosts while fellow substitute Charlie Clanford had an effort ruled out for offside as Rovers continued to push in the last few moments, but we escaped with our clean sheet intact to make it three consecutive wins in the Premier League 2 for the first time since the start of October.

Reaction on SPURSPLAY

‘We created lots of chances’

Coach Wayne felt we could have been more than one goal to the good at half-time, telling SPURSPLAY: “In the first half we were very good, we created lots of chances but didn’t capitalise although we moved the ball very well, got into some good positions and I thought we were a little bit unfortunate to only be 1-0 up in the first half.

“Tynan was threatening all night – he looked very dangerous, took up some excellent positions, was a threat throughout and he took his goal well. We’ve seen him do that every day in training, he’s been very good of late, he’s been pushing to score goals and I’m delighted that he has.

“I’m also delighted for Max – it’s his first game back, he was playing slightly out of position, but he’s managed to come up with a goal at the far post and at 2-0, I thought we were worthy winners. We probably lost our way slightly in the second half but to come here and win is good.”

Line-ups

Blackburn Rovers: Michalski, Odogun (McIlroy 46), Pates, Decandia (McCoy 73), Davies (c), Dunn (Clanford 73), Doherty, Ball, Boggan (Sergeant 46), Tyjon, Kamara. Substitute (not used): Higgins.

Spurs: Bloedorn, Rowswell, McFadden (Furnell-Gill 68), Arganese-McDermott, Hardy (Logan 80), Cassanova, Kyerematen, Olusesi (c), Wilson (Lehane 73), Melia (Black 68), T Thompson (Sowunmi 80).

Match data

Goals: Spurs – McFadden 13, T Thompson 51.

Yellow cards: Blackburn – Ball 45+1, Decandia 71.

Referee: Gareth Thomas.

Venue: Wham Stadium, Accrington.

Weather: Sunny, gentle breeze, 11 degrees.

Attendance: 57.