Blackburn Rovers manager Tony Mowbray criticised his side’s poor first-half performance in their 1-0 defeat to Middlesbrough.
On Sunday afternoon, Tony Mowbray’s Blackburn Rovers were defeated 1-0 by his former side Middlesbrough. Britt Assombalonga scored the only goal of the game as Rovers fell to a fourth defeat in a row.
Skipper Charlie Mulgrew misjudged a long ball, allowing Boro forward Ashley Fletcher to pounce. His deflected strike was nodded in by Assombalonga after 19 minutes to make it 1-0, and that was how the game would finish.
Derrick Williams was sent off before the break, bringing down Fletcher on the edge of the box, leaving Rovers with 10 men and a mountain to climb.
The defeat leaves Blackburn in 14th place with 13 games remaining, while Middlesbrough climbed back above Bristol City and into 5th place.
The performance has left Mowbray frustrated, after seeing one of the worst halves of football he has seen since his arrival at Ewood Park.
“I didn’t recognise many of them first half I would have to say. I’ve been here two years next week and not sure we’ve played as badly as that for 45 minutes in those two years,” Mowbray told the Lancashire Telegraph.
“We didn’t compete, I’m not sure where it came from.”
The second half saw Rovers put in a brighter performance. Mowbray took action and brought on Amari’i Bell, Lewis Travis and Ryan Nyambe, with Jack Rodwell, Ben Brereton and Corry Evans making way.
“The second half was better, we gave it a go against a good team with an extra man, created some chances, as did they.
“We nearly sneaked something in the second half which was much better, but the first half we don’t see want any performances of that level ever again.
“I’m not sure what the mentality was going into the game, they felt alright before kick-off in the dressing room. We knew how big a game it was.
“But the evidence was there to watch, there was a lack of spark, a lack of fire, lack of intensity, and ultimately I’m not sure it where it came from.
“We will go through it and try and break it down and found the answers.”
