After losing to Huddersfield on Saturday and slipping into the bottom three, it was essential that we got the three points tonight.
It is so easy to get sucked into a relegation battle which meant it was vital that this did not happen.
As I was expecting a low crowd tonight I also hoped this meant we would win, well that’s my theory anyway!
It seemed very quiet on the streets and most people were out in the garden at The Peacock and not inside.At least we got served pretty quick!
It was nice to see that some of our Norwegian fans were still here and going home the following day which was another reason to hope we would win for them.
As we came out of the Peacock at 7.30 pm I couldn’t believe how dark it was and the clouds looming overhead were ominous.
Thunderstorms had been forecast but as long as they kept off till I was in the ground, was all that mattered.
The team today was Green, Taylor, Bartley, Jansson, Antonsson, Ayling, Bridcutt, Dallas, O’Kane (making his debut), Hernandez and Sacko.
Subs were Phillips for Bridcutt who went off injured, Wood for Antonsson and Mowatt for O’Kane.
Attendance was 19,009 (with 327 Blackburn fans).
The first half started more or less the same as on Saturday and I don’t think there was much to shout about.
It was more interesting watching the weather as “biblical rain” and sheet lightening was lighting up the sky above the South Stand.
As the heavens opened the majority of fans at the front of the East Stand scurried further up the stand to get away from the rain.
I couldn’t blame them, but felt quite sorry for our disabled fans who had to stay where they were and used waterproofs to protect themselves.
It was funny when the whole Kop went oooooh at the same time, when fork lightening and a mighty crack of thunder had me thanking the fact that I was way back in the stand.
We had heard that the Etihad had flooded for Man City’s game and then postponed so I was half expecting the same to happen here.
As it turned out our pitch stood up to things very well which was good to see.
Although both teams had a lot of possession without doing too much, we at least had a couple of tame shots on target.
The positives are that they were indeed on target although they wouldn’t have tested their goalie. As half time approached that familiar feeling that I couldn’t wait for the whistle to blow came.
As it turned out we had another five minutes to endure for injury time.
Green had ended up clattering one of their players outside the penalty area and ended up with a head injury which was bandaged for the rest of the game.
The second half started much the same way and when Bridcutt went down injured again I knew he would go off.
It’s ironic that we have waited so long for him to come to Leeds only for him to get injured.
Hopefully it won’t keep him out for long. Phillips came on to replace him and then on the hour mark Wood came on to replace Antonsson.
I looked at the clock and that was when the turn round occurred. Whether we changed formation or not I couldn’t be sure, but all of a sudden we stepped up a gear.
Sacko was the one who made the goal when he ran at their defender and ended up past him on the bye line.
Wood who was waiting in the middle had the easiest of tasks to put the ball into the net from close range to put us into the lead.
What a relief to score a goal as it felt like we’d forgotten how to do it!
One of the Blackburn players went down injured for a while which took the momentum out of our game.
As it was, Blackburn ended up equalising with a more or less identical goal that Huddersfield scored against us on Saturday.
Swansea loanee Marvin Emnes let fly from just outside the edge of the box and it was a goal all the way. Damn!
Did this mean a draw would be on the cards? It nearly was a loss instead as Green made a double spectacular save to stop Blackburn from taking the lead.
Mowatt came on to replace O’Kane who’d had a steady debut.
Leeds won a free kick, courtesy of Wood, to the left of us and Mowatt went to take it.
As we shouted for a delivery to beat the first man, Mowatt sent a sweetly placed free kick that landed perfectly for Bartley to head the ball into the net and Leeds into the lead!
Celebrations were seen all around Elland Road as the pent up relief escaped to take the pressure off us.
The game wasn’t over just yet though as there was another seven minutes of injury time to endure which I think turned into nine minutes!
I’m also not sure what happened at the far goal but a couple of our players started pushing Sacko around for something?
I thought at first they were arguing about the defending and thought they may lose it, but luckily it stopped as soon as it had begun.
We may have only really played for thirty minutes but as I’d said to someone before the game, three points is all that matters and I don’t care how we get them!
We have now got to go to the early game at Cardiff on Saturday and I wonder if we can carry on in the same vein as we finished tonight?
To really pull in the right direction we need as many points as possible before anyone can really relax so fingers crossed.
See you there – LUFC – Marching on Together!