Championship
Blackburn2Bristol City2

Blackburn Rovers 2-2 Bristol City

Blackburn Rovers v Bristol City
Bristol City started 2016 in the relegation zone

Blackburn Rovers and Bristol City secured Championship safety after an entertaining draw at Ewood Park.

On-loan Sunderland striker Danny Graham gave Rovers the lead with a first-time shot before City substitute Jonathan Kodjia levelled.

Aaron Wilbraham then fired the visitors ahead from eight yards only for Graham to equalise with a header.

City finished with 10 men after Korey Smith was dismissed for an off-the-ball incident.

Blackburn are 18th in the table with 49 points from 44 games - the same number of points as City, who have an inferior goal difference and are 20th.

Both clubs will compete in the Championship next season as 22nd-placed MK Dons joined Charlton and Bolton in being relegated to League One.

Graham has now scored six goals in 16 games since joining Blackburn.

Bristol City manager Lee Johnson:

"We started quite well, first 15 minutes, camped them in and had a couple of chances, and then I thought they really got a foothold in the game and we got a bit stretched.

"At half-time there had to be a hair-dryer or two because it was important we livened them up. They had to dig deep and they did.

"I think as a club it's a big achievement given the situation we were in. On a personal level, probably my biggest achievement I think, with the help of the group obviously. I'm not saying it's all me. That's a shared achievement because the Championship is a tough league. We've picked up seven or eight wins and important points. It's a big day and we've got to enjoy it."

Blackburn Rovers manager Paul Lambert:

"Danny's two goals were great for us and he's been excellent for us since he's been at the football club. It's very difficult for loan players when they come in and you're getting towards the tail end of the season. It's easy for them to switch off, but he has been excellent.

"His work rate, around the place, off the field, all the things you want from an experienced player, he's been there, seen it, done it, and he's been a massive player for us.

"I thought in the first half we were excellent. Some of the football was very good and we should have been a couple of goals up. There was the spell in the second half where Bristol got two goals against us and I thought the defending was really poor at that point.

"I think it would have been an injustice had we lost that game."

Line-ups

Blackburn

  • 30Steele
  • 6Lowe
  • 15Ward
  • 5Hanley
  • 4Kilgallon
  • 28MahoneySubstituted forConwayat 63'minutes
  • 21Akpan
  • 29EvansSubstituted forLenihanat 86'minutes
  • 10Marshall
  • 14Gomez Garcia-PencheSubstituted forJacksonat 76'minutes
  • 12Graham

Substitutes

  • 16Grimes
  • 22Duffy
  • 26Lenihan
  • 31Bennett
  • 32Conway
  • 33Raya
  • 35Jackson

Bristol City

  • 12O'Donnell
  • 26MatthewsSubstituted forAylingat 56'minutes
  • 4FlintSubstituted forPearceat 45'minutes
  • 17Baker
  • 13Golbourne
  • 21Pack
  • 7SmithBooked at 86mins
  • 14ReidSubstituted forKodjiaat 63'minutes
  • 9Tomlin
  • 23Bryan
  • 18Wilbraham

Substitutes

  • 5Ayling
  • 11Wagstaff
  • 15Freeman
  • 16Pearce
  • 22Kodjia
  • 24O'Leary
  • 27Odemwingie
Referee:
Tim Robinson
Attendance:
12,752

Match Stats

Home TeamBlackburnAway TeamBristol City
Possession
Home54%
Away46%
Shots
Home10
Away9
Shots on Target
Home4
Away5
Corners
Home4
Away8
Fouls
Home9
Away6

Live Text

Match ends, Blackburn Rovers 2, Bristol City 2.

Full Time

Second Half ends, Blackburn Rovers 2, Bristol City 2.

Corner, Blackburn Rovers. Conceded by Richard O'Donnell.

Attempt saved. Ben Marshall (Blackburn Rovers) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Darragh Lenihan.

Foul by Hope Akpan (Blackburn Rovers).

Lee Tomlin (Bristol City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Attempt blocked. Ben Marshall (Blackburn Rovers) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.

Attempt missed. Hope Akpan (Blackburn Rovers) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Craig Conway with a cross following a corner.

Corner, Blackburn Rovers. Conceded by Aaron Wilbraham.

Substitution

Substitution, Blackburn Rovers. Darragh Lenihan replaces Corry Evans.

Dismissal

Korey Smith (Bristol City) is shown the red card for violent conduct.

Grant Hanley (Blackburn Rovers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Foul by Korey Smith (Bristol City).

Corner, Bristol City. Conceded by Grant Hanley.

Foul by Matthew Kilgallon (Blackburn Rovers).

Aaron Wilbraham (Bristol City) wins a free kick on the right wing.

Foul by Hope Akpan (Blackburn Rovers).

Lee Tomlin (Bristol City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Goal!

Goal! Blackburn Rovers 2, Bristol City 2. Danny Graham (Blackburn Rovers) header from the centre of the box to the top left corner. Assisted by Jason Lowe with a cross.

Attempt saved. Hope Akpan (Blackburn Rovers) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.

Substitution

Substitution, Blackburn Rovers. Simeon Jackson replaces Jordi Gómez.

Goal!

Goal! Blackburn Rovers 1, Bristol City 2. Aaron Wilbraham (Bristol City) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Luke Ayling.

Offside, Bristol City. Scott Golbourne tries a through ball, but Jonathan Kodjia is caught offside.

Goal!

Goal! Blackburn Rovers 1, Bristol City 1. Jonathan Kodjia (Bristol City) right footed shot from the right side of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Korey Smith.

Corner, Bristol City. Conceded by Grant Hanley.

Delay over. They are ready to continue.

Delay in match Jordi Gómez (Blackburn Rovers) because of an injury.

Substitution

Substitution, Blackburn Rovers. Craig Conway replaces Connor Mahoney.

Substitution

Substitution, Bristol City. Jonathan Kodjia replaces Bobby Reid.

Offside, Blackburn Rovers. Jason Lowe tries a through ball, but Grant Hanley is caught offside.

Corner, Blackburn Rovers. Conceded by Luke Ayling.

Corner, Blackburn Rovers. Conceded by Richard O'Donnell.

Offside, Bristol City. Marlon Pack tries a through ball, but Bobby Reid is caught offside.

Offside, Blackburn Rovers. Matthew Kilgallon tries a through ball, but Danny Graham is caught offside.

Substitution

Substitution, Bristol City. Luke Ayling replaces Adam Matthews.

Attempt missed. Ben Marshall (Blackburn Rovers) left footed shot from the left side of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Danny Graham.

Connor Mahoney (Blackburn Rovers) wins a free kick on the right wing.

Foul by Bobby Reid (Bristol City).

Corner, Bristol City. Conceded by Ben Marshall.

Corner, Bristol City. Conceded by Jason Steele.

goal

As It Stood

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Burnley442415568353387
2Middlesbrough44269960283287
3Brighton442415570403087
4Hull4322111062332977
5Derby442114965412477
6Sheff Wed441817962431971
7Cardiff441716115547867
8Ipswich441615134949063
9Birmingham441613155046461
10Brentford43178186464059
11Preston441416144243-158
12Leeds441416144855-758
13QPR441318135353057
14Wolves441315165056-654
15Reading441313185054-452
16Huddersfield441312195861-351
17Nottm Forest441215174045-551
18Blackburn441116174245-349
19Rotherham441310215265-1349
20Bristol City441213195070-2049
21Fulham441115186576-1148
22MK Dons44912233664-2839
23Charlton44813233876-3837
24Bolton44415254080-4027
View full Championship table

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