Blackburn Rovers Vs Preston: Yuki Ohashi heads 95th-minute winner at Ewood Park
blackburn rovers vs preston finished 1-0 at Ewood Park after Yuki Ohashi headed home in the 95th minute, a late strike that moved Blackburn six points clear of the relegation zone and handed Michael O'Neill a win in his first home game in charge.
Blackburn Rovers Vs Preston — Ohashi's stoppage-time header wins derby
The Lancashire derby was settled by a dramatic final act when Ohashi, introduced as a 67th-minute substitute, met a left-wing cross at the far post and guided a header beyond David Cornell in the fifth minute of added time. The goal was Ohashi's seventh of the campaign and came at the very last move of the game, leaving the home crowd celebrating a narrow but crucial victory.
Chances, saves and a tight contest at Ewood Park
Preston started strongly and tested Blackburn early: Alfie Devine twice hit the woodwork, including a second-minute corner that struck the top of the crossbar, and Lewis Dobbin forced Balasz Toth into a smart save in the 10th minute. Toth, described in the match details as the Hungarian shot-stopper, made a number of important interventions to keep Blackburn in the game.
Blackburn had their moments too. Moussa Baradji and Mathias Jorgensen both came close in the first half, with Baradji heading wide from six yards and later failing to convert another good chance inside the box. Ten minutes from time Ohashi glanced a header at goal that Cornell had to parry, a sign of the pressure mounting before the decisive cross from Eiran Cashin that allowed Ohashi to finish.
What the result means
The 1-0 win gave Blackburn back-to-back victories for the first time since November and moved them six points clear of the relegation zone. For Preston, the defeat ended a three-game unbeaten run and left them unable to move into the play-off places despite several early openings and periods of control.
Blackburn had beaten Preston 2-1 at Deepdale when the sides met previously, and this latest victory continued Michael O'Neill's positive start; context notes that this was his second win from as many games in charge while being his first home match at the helm.
Key concrete facts from the match: Ohashi came off the bench in the 67th minute, scored with a header in the 95th minute, and the final score was 1-0 to Blackburn. The late winner ensured the hosts claimed all three points in a derby that rarely produced clear-cut chances despite spells of dominance for both sides.
The Championship continues with further fixtures tomorrow, with more games lined up across the table that could affect both Blackburn's buffer from the relegation zone and Preston's standing in the push for a top-six finish.
