Blackburn Rovers showed a maturity beyond their years to take full advantage of Norwich City's plight.
The atmosphere around Carrow Road was dismal before kick-off with fans disillusioned about David Wagner's reign. The Canaries had won one in nine matches going into the weekend with huge pressure building on the head coach.
Rovers knew a fast start would turn the home crowd on the players and the manager, just as it had at the end of Dean Smith's reign when Roevrs won 2-0 in last December. That defeat prompted a change and Wagner's first game was against Rovers in the FA Cup, ironically.
Well, another defeat might make Rovers his last opponents too as they piled on the misery. The home crowd was mutinous once Sam Szmodics had added to Tyrhys Dolan's opener inside 15 minutes.
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Blackburn were fantastic and the quality of their football in the first half an hour was exceptional. Norwich, foolishly, tried to press high and left themselves vulnerable in transition. Between both boxes, Tomasson has an excellent side, that can play through a press and away from tight situations.
They did that continuously and then they were at the back four. Dolan's movement to find space and then his first touch to exploit was excellent. The finish was ruthless.
The biggest compliment you can pay Szmodics is once he was one-vs-one with George Long, you never doubted he'd add his eighth of the season. Once the third goal went in, it was game over.
Andrew Moran showed his quality with a couple of lovely assists. The second, in particular, a first-time volleyed cross which found Szmodics at the back post for three. It was an intelligent run from the 28-year-old, who could've easily been offside had he moved too early into the huge space left by Norwich's defence.
The combination in midfield of Sondre Tronstad and Adam Wharton was a lovely blend. Tronstad's presence gave Wharton more freedom to advance with the ball and impact the final third. It released the shackles for the teenager.
Rovers' record in the Championship with Tronstad backs up what the eyes suggest. Five wins out of six and only four goals conceded in that time too. He is not a flashy player but he's capable of playing Tomasson's brand of football and moving the ball forward for the attackers to cause damage. He's a steady head and a bit of experience in an otherwise youthful side.
Blackburn didn't allow Scott Wharton's red card to rock them. Sure, they conceded possession and had to dig in but Leopold Wahlstedt did not have countless saves to make. He did well to repel Christian Fassnacht's header but the team held out. They defended from the front and the reshuffled back line, led by the excellent James Hill, stood firm. Harry Pickering had his best game of the season at left-back and coped well when he moved into the centre.
Of course, there is concern about the injury situation heading into derby week against Preston North End. Everyone remembers the nature of their win at Ewood last year and how Ched Evans bullied the defence.
It'll probably be Milutin Osmajic from the start and Evans from the bench. If indeed it is Hill and Pickering at the back, they will have their hands full from a physical point of view.
But moving forward, Rovers can be confident. The home form has, surprisingly, not been quite as good this season and therefore a victory at Ewood would be a lovely tonic heading into the international break.
With 15 games gone, 10th place feels a fair reflection on the squad. But after four wins in five, there is renewed hope that they can continue to climb the table. They did everything right at Norwich and showed different sides of their game to ensure they took the three points.
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