Yuki Ohashi scored a second-half brace as Blackburn maintained their excellent start to the season by brushing aside Bristol City 3-0.
John Eustace’s men were looking to win their first three home league games of the season for the first time in 11 years and that outcome barely looked in doubt, though they were given a helping hand by Robins’ goalkeeper Max O’Leary, whose loose pass gifted Lewis Travis a 17th-minute opener.
Blackburn were solid if not spectacular but they put their lacklustre visitors to the sword in the second half through their clinical Japanese forward Ohashi, who curled a powerful shot home in the 55th minute before repeating the trick on the other side of the area with his left foot 15 minutes later to make it five goals in all competitions this season.
Rovers sit second in the league after this win and their firepower – no team has scored more in the league – points to an exciting season ahead.
By contrast, no team has conceded more than Bristol City this season, and although they went close through Scott Twine and Sinclair Armstrong in the second half, they were the architects of their own downfall, with mistakes leading to the opening two goals.
O’Leary parried Owen Beck’s goalbound corner to safety in the 13th minute but he made a dreadful mistake four minutes later, under-hitting a pass that Travis pounced upon before keeping his composure to slot into the right corner for his first goal in over two years.
Luke McNally headed a corner over soon after but Rovers always looked more dangerous and Ohashi’s near-post shot was thwarted superbly by Zak Vyner who then cleared to deny a flowing Blackburn move.
Hayden Carter’s goalbound shot just after the break deflected inches wide but there was no reprieve in the 55th minute when Tyrhys Dolan pinched the ball on the halfway line and raced forward before feeding Ohashi on the left who emphatically curled into the top corner from 15 yards.
A triple substitution injected life into Bristol City’s performance and they went close in the 64th minute when the ball fell to Twine 12 yards out but his low drive was brilliantly saved by a sprawling Aynsley Pears. Twine got to the rebound, but Carter produced a heroic block and from the corner Haydon Roberts’ volley deflected just wide.
But Rovers clinically ended the game when Ohashi received the ball on the right and cut inside on his left foot before curling sumptuously into the top left corner from inside the area.
Armstrong almost netted a consolation late on, but Pears blocked, capping a miserable afternoon for the visitors.
The managers
Blackburn’s John Eustace:
“He’s been outstanding since he’s come to the football club. He’s a real part of the family. The lads love him to bits, his English getting better everyday. He’s a really important member of the squad.
“We have to remember that we recruited him when he was still in season in Japan.
“He was up and running and firing over there. Coming into our group, we’ve given him simple jobs and he’s taken all the messages on board because he’s up to speed, he’s a very intelligent footballer and obviously a very good finisher.
“I said to the boys at half-time, we were fairly dominant that first half but we have to be more clinical in the final third. They all agreed with that and second half we were clinical which was great.
“There was a moment with Pearsy (Aynsley Pears) pulling off a fantastic save, the boys throwing their bodies on the line, defending the box for their lives. They really earned the clean sheet today.”
Bristol City’s Liam Manning:
“Hugely disappointing result and performance. Nowhere near the level we expect or we’re capable of.
“For me, the frustrating bit was, any team you work with, you want to be associated around – the desire, to compete, to run, to win duels, to do the basic side of the game really well, wasn’t where it needed to be today.
“Hugely disappointing because I know we’ve got a group of lads that care and want to do well, so yes, frustrated and disappointed with that.
“The big bit for me is we have to learn from today. We’ll have a tough meeting on Monday, we’ll get back to basics and hard work on Tuesday, Wednesday and we have to be harder to beat.
“Conceding far too many goals and when you look at where a lot of this group were at last year – in terms of the defensive side of the game – we’ve got to get back to that.
“I can only apologise for the performance today.”
