Derby County Fight Back to Sink Blackburn Rovers

Derby County revived their play-off ambitions with a spirited second-half comeback to defeat Blackburn Rovers 3-1 at Pride Park. After trailing at the break, the Rams produced a clinical forty-five minutes to leave the visitors mired in relegation trouble. The turnaround was spearheaded by Ben Brereton Diaz, who found the net against his former employers, triggering the collapse of a tentative Blackburn defence.

The first half belonged largely to the visitors, who capitalised on Derby’s early sluggishness. Blackburn found their breakthrough in added time when Hayden Carter met a teasing Yuri Ribeiro free-kick with an inviting header into the roof of the net. Before the interval, Balazs Toth and Josh Vickers had been kept busy as both sides struggled for a finishing touch amidst a heated contest. A 34th-minute flashpoint involving Sam Szmodics and Adam Forshaw resulted in bookings for both, underscoring the high stakes for two teams at opposite ends of the table.

Derby emerged for the second half with renewed purpose, punishing Blackburn for a missed opportunity by Andri Gudjohnsen. The equaliser arrived in the 55th minute when the impressive Derry Murkin picked out Brereton Diaz, who finished precisely from 15 yards. The momentum shifted entirely toward the home side as Blackburn’s composure dissolved. By the 74th minute, Matt Clarke had tapped in the second after the Rovers failed to clear a routine set-piece.

Rhian Brewster sealed the victory in the 82nd minute, heading home from six yards after another pinpoint delivery from Murkin. The assist was Murkin’s second of the afternoon, capping a performance that tormented the Blackburn flank. For the Rams, the three points provide a vital pulse to their promotion chase. For Rovers, the lack of defensive steel in the closing stages suggests a long, difficult spring ahead.

The tactical shift by Paul Warne at the interval appeared to be the deciding factor. Derby moved from a reactive posture to a high-press system that the Blackburn backline simply could not handle. The introduction of fresh legs allowed the Rams to sustain an intensity that eventually broke the visitors’ resolve. Pride Park, which had been restless during the first half, ended the day in full voice.

Blackburn manager John Eustace will surely be worried by how quickly his side’s lead evaporated. While the first-half performance showed flashes of quality, the second half was a lesson in fragility. With only a handful of games remaining, Rovers must find a way to stop the rot. Derby, meanwhile, will look to this comeback as the blueprint for their final push toward the play-off places.