BLACKBURN 2 CITY 0

AT LEAST Simon Grayson did not have far to go home.

There was no long journey chewing over what might have been after last night’s defeat at the ground closest to his Lancashire roots.

But the manager’s pre-match hope that perhaps City could come back again next year in the Championship looked as distant as ever after a totally one-sided encounter.

The fact it took the visitors until well into the final ten minutes to actually have an effort on goal highlighted the one-way nature of the evening.

It had been 28 years since City’s last visit to Ewood Park. On this evidence, they won’t be playing Blackburn again any time soon.

Of course, other results over the weekend could fall in their favour as before. The gap to the top six may stay at four points going into Monday’s home clash with Walsall.

But their rivals for a play-off ticket will certainly not be quaking in their boots if they had tuned in to this.

Blackburn, who moved back top for now, were still five years away from winning the Premier League the last time these two sides met at Ewood Park.

City had still not been to Wembley in their history when the teams drew 2-2 on New Year’s Day in 1990, a season that would end with the visitors dropping out of the second tier.

Their hopes of following promotion-bound Rovers into the Championship this season via an end-of-season party at the national stadium will not ultimately hinge on last night’s outcome.

But it was not a performance to suggest they are capable of finding that winning run required to have any interest in the end-of-season play-off lottery.

Charlie Wyke’s return after an enforced break stretching to nearly five weeks offered hope that City would rediscover the attacking edge they had lacked – Dominic Poleon’s weekend winner was their only goal in the three games the big striker had missed.

It was the first time the pair had teamed up together away from Valley Parade since the win at Southend in December – before the season came off the rails.

Blackburn were missing Danny Graham and Charlie Mulgrew but still had riches that would walk into every League One club.

Adam Armstrong, the on-loan Newcastle striker that City and many others have coveted, had scored in each of their previous four home games.

The form table firmly backed the hosts, who had lost just one of their last 26 league outings.

City, in contrast, had lost five out of six on the road – a complete reversal on the away form under Stuart McCall during the first half of the season.

The former boss was an interested spectator as a studio summariser for Sky – his first appearance at a Bantams game since being sacked. He was clocked by the away end, who boomed a pre-match chorus of appreciation.

Blackburn had not played for 19 days but there was no hint of rustiness as they roared into the attack, Armstrong squaring for Elliott Bennett whose shot was blocked.

And City had another scare as Dominic Samuel was tugged back by Nathaniel Knight-Percival as he looked to burst clear.

The card for the defender was yellow, Matt Kilgallon’s presence as cover saving it from being red. City were forced to carry on defending and Callum Guy played himself into trouble from a Blackburn corner, giving the ball back to Corey Evans whose shot was beaten out by Colin Doyle.

Marcus Antonsson was a whisker away from converting Richie Smallwood’s free-kick as City’s goal continued to live an increasingly charmed life. Knight-Percival blocked another effort from the Swede in front of the line before Bradley Dack’s cross took a deflection and clipped off the bar.

Grayson tweaked the formation to push Romain Vincelot into the holding midfield role and switched to a back four, Tony McMahon returning to right back.

Samuel tried to play Armstrong through on goal but Doyle hared out of his box to defuse any potential danger. He also saved low down from Samuel on another Rovers raid. But the changes had made City more solid as the Blackburn onslaught eased as half-time approached.

The 1,642-strong away end had been in great voice throughout, stoked up even more by the inconsistent refereeing of Chris Sarginson – the official who made a comic turn at Valley Parade in October.

The fact that the Bantams had battled through to the break on level terms, given they had offered nothing going forward, was at least cause for celebration.

The second period began in the same fashion as before. Antonsson’s drive was deflected behind and Dack’s corner scrambled away with some discomfort as an Armstrong jab bobbled across goal. But the longer it went on goalless, the more the frustration could be heard in the stands. The Blackburn fans were growing increasingly unimpressed at their failure to break City’s resistance.

“Everywhere we go” rung out from behind the home goal – even though the travelling support had yet to see a single effort on goal from their side.

Knight-Percival came to City’s rescue again with a second crucial intervention in front of his own net as Evans looked poised to score.

Grayson made a double change on 65 minutes, replacing the ineffective Alex Gilliead and Poleon with McCartan and Omari Patrick.

But again it was Blackburn threatening to end the stalemate as newly-arrived sub Jack Payne slid Armstrong into a shooting chance and he drilled past the post.

The goal they had been craving, though, finally arrived from the next attack.

Antonsson was the provider, finding Dack’s run to the right of the box and the former Gillingham man’s finish flew low past Doyle into the bottom corner. The relief around the ground was palpable as Blackburn celebrated as much in relief as joy at the prospect of going back into pole position – for now at least.

With the door finally kicked open, it was no surprise when the home side soon doubled the lead.

Craig Conway had only been on the pitch for two minutes when he converted the second, firing home at the near post after Kilgallon’s sliding block on Armstrong diverted the ball straight into his path.

That put the game well beyond the Bantams – it effectively was at 1-0 – but they did finally muster an effort at goal as Patrick drilled wide. It had taken 83 minutes.

McCartan followed suit as he cleared the bar from the edge of the box and Patrick headed over but it was far too little and far too late.

PLAYER RATINGS

BLACKBURN: Raya 6, Evans 7, Lenihan 6 (Downing 30min, 6), Williams 6, Bell 7, Bennett 6, Smallwood 7, Samuel 6 (Payne 65min), Dack 8, Armstrong 7, Antonsson 6. Subs (not used): Whittingham, Caddis, Conway, Nuttall, Leutwiler.

CITY: Doyle 7, Vincelot 6, Knight-Percival 6, Kilgallon 7, McMahon 6, Gilliead 5 (Patrick 65min), Guy 6 (Dieng 72min), Law 6, Warnock 6, Poleon 5 (McCartan 65min), Wyke 5. Subs (not used): Chicksen, Devine, Grodowski, Raeder.