Blackburn Rovers manager Gemma Donnelly has admitted that Kayleigh McDonald’s first half dismissal ended any chance which her side had of collecting at least a point from their FA Women’s Championship fixture at Sheffield United this afternoon.
Rovers were 2-1 down when McDonald was dismissed for dissent, effectively ending the Lancashire club’s hopes of staging a second half comeback. Blackburn Rovers went on to lose the match 5-1 after conceding three second half goals.
When speaking to FA Women’s Super League Full-Time after the match, Rovers boss Donnelly praised her side for their performance in the first half but admitted that the red card killed the game off.
“We started really well, we put Sheffield United on the back foot and I was really disappointed to be honest” Donnelly said. “We gave away two really cheap goals.
“At half-time, I thought that a draw would have been a fair reflection on how well we had performed.
“There was very little in it so I was pleased.
“Then just before half-time, Kayleigh McDonald has been sent-off and when you go down to 10 players against a team like Sheffield United, you are always going to be punished.
“I was confident that we could get something today and the girls were too but when you go down to 10 players, you are up against the wall.”
It could have been a different game all together if Natasha Fenton had tucked away her effort after just four minutes but manager Donnelly is a believer that if you don’t put away your chances, you will get pushed in the FA Women’s Championship.
Donnelly added “We created some half-chances and we could have gone ahead but that’s the nature of football and they went down the other end and scored two goals from nothing.
“We then had a player sent-off and the game totally changes.
“In the end, 5-1 is a bit of a battering but at half-time, it was all to play for.”
After falling to defeat this afternoon, Blackburn Rovers now look ahead to a big game against Charlton Athletic at the Sir Tom Finney Stadium in Bamber Bridge next weekend. Rovers boss Donnelly has admitted that it is a hugely important fixture for her side.
“I’m finding out quite quickly that anyone can beat each other in this league” Donnelly admitted.
“Of course, it’s a huge game against Charlton and they will consider it the same too.
“If we win that game, we can pull away from the pack then they are in serious trouble but if they beat us, we are back in the fold.”
Blackburn Rovers sit just three points and four places above The Addicks. The relegation dogfight looks set to be contested between five sides, although Rovers do have two games in hand on two of the sides below them in the FA Women’s Championship table.
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