Blackburn Rovers head coach Simon Parker said that he was pleased with the resilience shown by his side in their 2-1 victory over Sheffield United.
Rovers found themselves with a mountain to climb after conceding a soft goal inside the opening two minutes but they showed the necessary grit and determination to turn the game around and goals from Meg Hornby and Lauren Thomas handed them the three points at Ewood Park.
When speaking to FAWSL Full-Time after the final whistle, Parker said that he was pleased with his side’s resilience as they turned things around with the backing of vocal support from the stands.
“We had a few setbacks in the game,” Parker said. “I know we can do better with the early goal that we conceded then we missed a penalty, missed a few one-on-ones and missed an open goal. To carry on with that resilience was massive.
“A big shout out to the fans, you could really feel them and hear them in the second half, especially when we got forward creating opportunities to score. They really helped us.”
Rovers keeper Alex Brooks had a moment to forget when she was beaten by Isobel Goodwin’s second-minute effort for Sheffield United. The ball somehow crept into the bottom corner of the net. Parker was full of praise for how Brooks responded and ended up being the hero with some huge saves late in the game.
He said “It’s a difficult thing (to bounce back), especially for a goalkeeper. I am really happy for her because she has the backing of us and everyone in the team but you have to have that self-belief. She didn’t know that was offside at the end where she made the save and the follow up but it’s a great save.
“She’s been really important for us. The way that she recovered from that (early goal) is really encouraging and hopefully, she will take that forward.”
Rovers have been promised four Ewood Park appearances this season by the Club. Parker’s side have won both of their opening home games in BB2 against Birmingham City and Sheffield United and the Rovers boss believes that the team are gaining support with their performances.
“It’s huge (to win at Ewood Park) because we want to tell the Club what we are all about,” he said. “It’s also important for the fans. If we can put on performances and get results, they’re going to come back and the fanbase will grow.
“We are really lucky that we are getting the results and we are working hard for them. We are also really grateful that the Club are backing us.”
Blackburn Rovers are back in action on Sunday when they travel to Watford in the Barclays Women’s Championship.
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