Rhodes Bags Hat-Trick In Rovers Win
Blackburn Rovers stamped their class on this npower Championship fixture as a hat-trick from Jordan Rhodes helped the visitors record a 4-1 victory with Lee Tomlin scoring arguably the goal of the game with a late stunner.After a positive start from Darren Ferguson's men, which saw the home side win successive corners and see shots blocked, it was the visitors who found the breakthrough on three minutes as the ball fell kindly to Mauro FORMICA who curled the ball into the corner past Olejnik.
The Posh goalkeeper pushed behind a curling shot from Rochina on the quarter hour mark as Blackburn, boosted by the goal, grew in confidence.
On 20 minutes, the visitors doubled their lead as a cross from Olsson was headed past Olejnik by RHODES although it definitely took a huge deflection off Knight-Percival to send it past the goalkeeper.
Bostwick fired over from distance on 23 minutes as Posh tried to get back into proceedings. It was 3-0 to the rampant Rovers on 40 minutes and this goal was simplicity in itself, a counter attack and the ball was fed to RHODES who took a touch and rifled the ball past Olejnik.
Saido Berahino forced Paul Robinson into his first save of the evening three minutes after the re-start after good work from Swanson, the goalkeeper tipping the 20-yarder over the crossbar.
Grant McCann was next to try his luck from 30-yards, but his fierce drive whistled just past the post. At the other end, Rhodes side-stepped Olejnik, but rolled his shot wide of the far post.
Posh introduced 16-year-old Jermaine Anderson for Alcock on 77 minutes for the youngster's debut in a Peterborough United shirt.
Rhodes saw a shot deflect into the path of Olsson moments later, but the winger's shot hits the crossbar. Olejnik then pushed a fierce shot around the post before RHODES completed his hat-trick with a simple header from close-range.
Blackburn had the ball in the back of the net again on 83 minutes, but the offside flag cut short the celebrations. Posh reduced the arrears on 87 minutes and it was arguably the goal of the game as TOMLIN fired into the top corner from 20-yards.
Olejnik made a fine late stop from Formica while Rovers also hit the post while Tomlin fired wide at the other end.
Final Score: Posh 1-4 Blackburn Rovers
Posh: Olejnik, Alcock (sub Anderson 77min), Brisley, Bostwick, Swanson (sub Ferdinand 64min), Tomlin, Boyd, McCann, Newell, Knight-Percival, Berahino. Subs: Day, Zakuani, Sinclair, Clarke-Harris, Gordon.
Blackburn: Robinson, Olsson (sub Pedersen 80min), Formica, Rhodes (sub Gomes 80min), Murphy (sub Lowe 60min), Olsson, Dann, Etuhu, Rochina, Henley, Hanley. Unused subs: Kean, Givet, Vukcevic, Kazim-Richards.
Attendance: 5,997 (903 Blackburn fans)