Barnsley suffered back to back league defeats for the first time since the opening two Championship games of the season and the first time under Valerian Ismael.
They have now won only one of their first seven away matches in 2020-2021 and indeed only two of the last 11.
Ex Red Adam Armstrong broke the deadlock after 44 minutes, only the sixth first half goal they have conceded this season – five of which have come after 44 or 45 minutes. The only exception being a fourth minute goal conceded at Cardiff.
Barnsley have now conceded eight Championship goals in 2020-2021 between the 40th and 50th minute.
Armstrong is the third ex Barnsley player to score against the Reds this season after Jack Hunt for Bristol City, and Ivan Toney for Brentford in midweek – four ex Barnsley players scored against them in 2019-2020.
Armstrong made 35 appearances for Barnsley during a loan spell from Newcastle in 2016-2017 and netted six goals, five of which were away from home but he is currently the Championship’s top scorer in 2020-2021, with this his 13th goal of the campaign in as many appearances and his eighth at Ewood Park.
Indeed when netting at home this season Barnsley are the first team to stop him scoring at least twice following a hattrick against Wycombe and braces against Reading and QPR.
He is the first ex Red to both score and be booked against Barnsley since Luke Berry for Luton in July.
Barnsley have now failed to win any of their last 63 Championship matches when conceding first (D12 L51) since defeating Leeds 3-2 in January 2017.
Prior to mid October Alex Mowatt had played every minute of every league game in 2020 (27 successive full games) however he has now been substituted in four of the last eight and has been brought off in three successive games for the first time in his Barnsley career.
Barnsley have lost six of their last 10 meetings with Blackburn, winning three, however have won three of the last five.
They have though now lost five of their last six visits to Ewood Park (W1)
Romal Palmer scored his first career goal to give Barnsley a consolation. It came after Victor Adeboyejo’s shot was blocked by Rovers defender Ryan Nyambe. It means seven of Barnsley’s 18 goals this season (all comps) have come without a direct assist from a team-mate.
Palmer is the first Barnsley player to be subbed on in the last 10 minutes of a game and score since Clark Oduor came on after 86minutes at Brentford and kept Barnsley up with that last gasp winner in July.
It is the first time two substitutes have scored in a game since Millwall away in December 2019 as Sam Gallagher grabbed Blackburn’s second here.
Since winning promotion back to the Champion in 2019 Barnsley have scored nine goals in the 90th minute or later.
There were 30 shots in the game, the joint most in a Barnsley league game this season.
23 came from Barnsley, their most since Reading away in February 2020 (also 23)
Barnsley won 11 corners, their most on the road since Luton in July (also 11)
Barnsley Team:
1. Jack Walton
6. Mads Andersen
30. Michal Helik
26. Michael Sollbauer
4. Callum Styles
27. Alex Mowatt
8. Herbie Kane
7. Callum Brittain
16. Luke Thomas
11. Conor Chaplin
9. Cauley Woodrow
Substitutes:
28. Dominik Frieser (for Chaplin 58)
29. Victor Adeboyejo (for Thomas 58)
22. Clarke Oduor (for Mowatt 68)
21. Romal Palmer (for Styles 82)
25. George Miller (for Woodrow 82)
Unused Substitutes:
40. Brad Collins, 34. Jasper Moon, 32. Matty James, 28. Dominik Frieser.
Blackburn Team:
1. Thomas Kaminski
2. Ryan Nyambe
26. Darragh Lenihan
28. Scott Wharton
15. Barry Douglas
10. Lewis Holtby
19. Tom Trybull
8. Joe Rothwell
16. Harvey Elliott
7. Adam Armstrong
20. Ben Brereton
Substitutions:
17. Amari’i Bell (for Douglas 14)
4. Bradley Johnson (for Trybull 66)
9. Sam Gallagher (for Elliott 66)
25. Hayden Carter (for Wharton 76)
Unused Substitutes:
13. Aynsley Pears, 11. Harry Chapman, 21. John Buckley, 6. Stewart Downing, 39. Tyrhys Dolan.
Blackburn manager Tony Mowbray said:
"The game panned out as I thought. Their front three are basically a pressing machine and we found it very hard to get behind them. They made life really difficult for us.
"We found a way to win and ultimately I think we deserved the win. I was disappointed with the goal we conceded at the end which made the last couple of minutes a bit chaotic.
"The one time we got Nyambe into space he drove past his man, cut it back and Adam did what he does and it was a great goal. We look forward to Wednesday and will try to keep the winning run going."
Sky Bet Championship results
FRIDAY 27TH NOVEMBER 2020
Brentford (7th) 2-1 Queens Park Rangers (15th)
Janelt 14
Dykes 26
Toney 64
SATURDAY 28TH NOVEMBER 2020
Reading (5th) 3-1 Bristol City (6th)
Ejaria 54
Wells 73
Meite 76
Joao 90+2
Birmingham City (17th) 0-0 Millwall 11th)
Blackburn Rovers (9th) 2-1 BARNSLEY (16th)
Armstrong 44
Gallagher 78
Palmer 90
Cardiff City (14th) 4-0 Luton Town (12th)
Morrison 5
Harris 9
Moore 59
Ojo 82
Derby County (24th) 1-1 Wycombe Wanderers (22nd)
Holmes 36
Bloomfield 81
Huddersfield Town (13th) 3-2 Middlesbrough (10th)
Johnson 14
Eiting 37
Campbell 45
Assombalonga pen 83
Koroma 85
Norwich City (1st) 1-1 Coventry City (20th)
Vrancic pen 27
Biamou 89
Rotherham United (19th) 2-2 AFC Bournemouth (2nd)
Stanislas pen 20
Ladapo 37
Ladapo 50
Solanke 63
Sheffield Wednesday (23rd) 0-0 Stoke City (8th)
Watford (3rd) 4-1 Preston North End (18th)
Quina 9
Deeney pen 52
Barkhuizen 55
Chalobah 58
Joao Pedro 74
SUNDAY 29TH NOVEMBER 2020
Nottingham Forest (21st) 0-1 Swansea City (4th)
Roberts 43
Barnsley lie in 16th place in the Sky Bet Championship with 16 points from 14 games. We are 8 points off the Play-Offs, 10 points off the Automatic Promotion Places, 11 points off First Place and 6 points above the Relegation Zone.
Up to 29/11/20
Next Up:
On The Road:
Sky Bet Championship Matchday Fifthteen: Birmingham City v Barnsley, Tuesday 1st December 2020. Kick-Off: 7:45pm
At Oakwell:
Sky Bet Championship Matchday Sixteen: Barnsley v Bournemouth, Friday 4th December 2020. Kick-Off: 5:30pm