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Nigerian international Ryan Alebiosu picked up an assist as Blackburn Rovers defeated Sheffield United 3-1 to ensure their Championship survival on Wednesday night.
It was Alebiosu’s fifth assist and goal in 40 games in the English second division for Blackburn this season.
Rovers needed victory to seal salvation in their penultimate game of the season and Yuki Ohashi scored twice either side of Ryoya Morishita’s effort as Blackburn took a 3-0 half-time lead, Sky Sports reports.
Blades boss Chris Wilder responded to his side’s abject first-half performance by making four substitutions during the interval and Harrison Burrows withdrew one early in the second half.
But although Rovers came under sustained pressure, their defense held firm to lift them eight points clear of the relegation zone with their relegation rivals having two games left to play.
Tom Cannon came close to marking his return to the Blades starting lineup with a goal within 30 seconds when he shot wide after running onto a pass from Gus Hamer.
Blackburn also threatened early on when Taylor Gardner-Hickman’s deep cross was tipped over by Adam Davies, but the Blades goalkeeper was beaten in the 12th minute.
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Morishita’s precision pass sent Japanese teammate Ohashi racing towards goal and he beat Davies to side-foot his ninth league goal of the season.
The locals struggled to advance against a determined rival, who still had a lot to play for.
Patrick Bamford’s 30th minute shot from 25 yards, well saved by Balazs Toth, was the home team’s only other shot on target in the first half.
Rovers’ increased intensity was rewarded with two more invaluable goals before the break.
Davies was forced to make successive saves, first from a low shot by visiting full-back Alebiosu and then from a header from Ohashi, and Morishita pounced on the latter’s rebound to put the visitors 2-0 up in the 32nd minute.
Blackburn took advantage of more statuesque defending on the stroke of half-time when Ohashi reacted quicker to meet Alebiosu’s excellent cross with a thumping header for his tenth league goal of the season.
The half-time whistle was greeted by a chorus of boos from the home fans and manager Chris Wilder sent on substitutes Oli Arblaster, Tyler Bindon, Leo Hjelde and Sydie Peck to start the second half.
Burrows cheered up the home fans by reducing the deficit in the 57th minute, converting Cannon’s cutback home.
Cannon forced Toth into two saves soon after and Bindon fired wide as the Blades improved, while Hamer curled an angled volley just wide of the target.
However, as the hosts suffered a fourth defeat in their last eight games, Blackburn’s traveling fans stayed to celebrate their team’s safety.
