On-loan Brighton defender Eiran Cashin delivered a priceless early winner as managerless Blackburn Rovers edged past Sheffield Wednesday 1-0 at a tense Ewood Park, lifting themselves out of the bottom three on goal difference and finally ending an eight-match winless run.
Rovers were in control for the majority of the contest and struck the decisive blow in the 12th minute, Cashin converting from close range after excellent work from Sondre Tronstad and Ryoya Morishita. They created enough chances to win far more comfortably, with Tronstad rattling the woodwork and several other opportunities going begging, but a remarkable goal-line clearance from Mathias Jorgensen was needed to preserve the lead after Wednesday threatened a second-half equaliser.
The match, a resumption of a fixture originally abandoned back in December with the hosts leading, brought much-needed respite for a club that had endured a turbulent few days following Valerien Ismael's departure. While Blackburn climbed out of the drop zone, Wednesday's own grim sequence without a victory stretched to 24 games, despite an impressive performance from goalkeeper Murphy Cooper that kept the scoreline down.
Early Nerves Eased by Cashin's Close-Range Finish