Rovers 4 - 2 Derby

[McClarky]

This was my favourite ever game at Ewood Park. After so many failed play-off atempts before it was no surprise when we went 2-0 down after about 10 minutes and some people actually left at this point.

I think it was Scott Sellars who got the first one back and then Mike Newell fired in a beauty just before half-time. The crowd was going mad all through the break and when they came back on for the second half the place was absolutely jumping. You could see Derby thinking "what the f***" and they didn't want to know after that.

In truth we could have had 4 or 5 in the second half but just got the 2 goals from Speedie and another 1 that was wrongly disallowed. To make it even more special we went to Derby and did the business as well in another fantastic night.

[bob fleming]

I'll second that. Best game I've been to at Ewood. The Blackburn End was absolutely barmy that day. We were up for it anyway but after going 2 down it was a case of "Oh s***, we've blown it again". What a come back, as soon as Scott Sellars scored with a deflected free kick there was only going to be one winner. Speedie was outstanding.

There were a few dicey moments at the back of the BBE I can tell you, got a bit crushed on a barrier celebrating one of the goals. On leaving the ground I actually noticed a red stripe on my shirt where the paint had come off! And this was at the end of the season!

Fantastic stuff that day, a little dangerous but what an unbelievable atmosphere. Unfortunately due to all seater stadia that sort of adrenalin rush won't be experienced again. And people wonder why some fans want terracing back? All I can say is that you just had to be there, those were the days!

[Ozz]

All I can say is I agree with Bob. The most exciting, and best atmospheres at Ewood ever. Unbeleivable, if you could only bottle it and spray it on games today.

[Billinge End Blue]

Fantastic game and atmosphere, always remember watching the TV highlights after the match (probably Granada) - there was a lad of twelve or so clinging onto the Blackburn End fence. As the camera panned past and went in close, you didn't need to be a lipreader to appreciate his ecstatic if foul-mouthed appreciation of Rovers getting back level with Newell's wondrous strike!

[colin]

10th May 1992, first of the two-leg play-off semis, we went on to beat Leicester 1-0 at Wembley

I'm glad that others remember that match for the atmosphere, a very strange occasion. It was almost like collective hysteria with the Blackburn End chanting non-stop throughout half time. I don't think that has ever happened since.

It must have been just one of those days when everyone was feeling a bit bonkers.

Peter White descibed it as "A magnificent game of football...saw Blackburn Rovers supporters transformed from heartbreak to the edge of hysteria with an attacking performance that could only be described as brilliant."

Gabbadini 2 mins

Johnson 14

Sellars 35

Newall 44

Speedie 66 & 70

Rovers; Mimms; May: Wright; Cowans; Moran (Richardson 56m); Hendry; Price; Atkins; Speedie (Shearer 71m*) ; Newall; Sellars.

*Duncan, not Alan.

[Ozz]

Long Shot on the day.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

WHAT AN ATMOSPHERE!...NEVER to be forgotten, maybe never to be repeated,the memories of that day still make the hairs on my neck stand!!

At 2-0 down the packed Blackburn End was stunned into silence,we'd blown it,our gobshytes in blue 'n' white had let us down yet again.....how could they?

45 minutes later and in all my time supporting Rovers I had never heard Ewood roar and sing as loud as it did that day.

'Mass hysteria' is a tame summary to describe of the events of that hot,barmy afternoon.

SPEEEEEEEDDDDDDDDIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!

[Drummer Boy]

The best thing about this match was how totally different the team responded to setback in comparison to previous play-offs (and there were many) - they'd all had an injection of Speedie-juice at half time turning them into determined little sods who absolutely refused to lose that day.

To make it better, we were set up for the return leg where my lasting memory, apart from being stared at very hard by some strange people from the Baseball Ground's "C Stand", was Kevin Moran getting a header in from a corner where he took the ball, the goalie and what seemed like three Derby defenders into the net.

Boy, did the Rovers want to win that one!!!

[yorkblues]

do you remember the bed sheet on fire in the bbe at ht ??

[colin]

The Guardian: 11th May

League play-offs, Second Division: Blackburn Rovers 4, Derby 2

Rovers’ Speedie recovery

Stephen Bierley

WHICH set of supporters will on Wednesday night pop their corks at the Baseball Ground remains open to question.

Yesterday Blackburn Rovers, 2-0 down within 15 minutes, won a splendidly unpredictable match, and they must resume as marginal favourites.

Derby, who have lost eight home matches this season, will be committed to attack but on

the evidence of the dreadful vulnerability of Coleman and Comyn in defence they will be terribly open to counterattack.

Arthur Cox’s team could not have had a better start. A clumsy challenge by Hendry on Kitson saw Simpson whip in a curling left-foot free-kick which Gabbiadini dived to head past Mimms.

Speedie should have equalised and Sellars thudded a cross-shot against the base of a post before Johnson put Derby further ahead. McMinn and Williams instigated the move,

although it was their inability later to control midfield that cost Derby dear; Simpson’s deft chip left Johnson in the clear and Hendry and Moran arguing with each other.

At that point there were few doubts that Blackburn’s season was as good as over and that Derby would go on to Wembley at a restrained canter ready to unleash one final, drumming gallop. Then everything began to go wrong. A Simpson challenge of small intent on the histrionic Speedle saw Sellars strike a free-kick which took the most insidious of deflections.

Daiglish, unlike Cox, bought largely for the moment: old heads to he sacrificed once the Premier League was reached. The policy has often seemed dubious but on this occasion experience told, if Derby had held on to 2—I at half time things might have been different, but Newell’s shot in the 44th minute levelled the match and saw Rovers emerge after the interval with buoyant optimism, their horrid opening forgotten.

The width in Blackburn’s play so stretched Derby that huge holes opened. McMinn and Williams were overrun or bypassed and Simpson and Johnson became bystanders as Speedie wreaked havoc.

Sutton had made a fine save ‘from the former Liverpool player before an elementary mistake by Comyn saw the Scot race in to put Blackburn ahead. Then, with Derby chaffing to make a double substitution to plug the gaps, Speedie increased Blackburn’s lead.

All is not lost for Derby. Kitson, Simpson and Johnson have the pace to cause mayhem in the Blackburn defence, where Mimms inspires little confidence and Hendry is capable of the most rudimentary mistakes. It is Rovers’ fourth play-• off in five years. Nobody can say they have not had practice.

Blactcbatn, Reverts Mimes; May, Wright,

Cowans. Moran (Richardson, 56mm),

Hendry, Price, Atkins, Speedle (Shearer, 71),

Newell, Sellers

Deity county, Sutton; Kavanah, Forsyth,

McMmnn (Ramage, 71), coleman, Comyn,

Johnson, iCison. Gabbiadlni (Mlcklowhite,

11), Williams, Simpson.

Referee, K Hackett (shefileld).

[cletus]

Was on the Riverside that day (cannot remember who with??) but remember going 2-0 down after only 15mins or something & heard the dissapointment rolling down the stand from fans who`d "seen it all before". Some actually walked out.

Then the come back! An awsome display of football & determination left the whole ground (well 3 quarters of it) bouncing!!

[Doug]

Was on Blackburn end with about 5 of my mates (ranging from Bury to Man Utd fans). My embarrasment as we went 2-0 down so early on and I'd promised em a great game! Well, the rest is history, they still talk about the game today! Also did the away game when Kevin Moran had his best game in Blue n White that I can recall. Wow, talk about the Alamo! Getting showered with coffee from the Derby fans above us! Then walked the gauntlet to try and remember where my dad had parked his car.... at the 'other end' of the ground!!

[liamg14]

This is one of my favourite games too, i was 15 and introduced to the back of the Blackburn End for the first time by some of my older mates.. Fell over a few times when the crowd used to sway and then suddenly a gap would appear from nowhere and i'd be down! I was quickly dragged up by random blokes everytime luckily, could have been quite dangerous! Still loved it tho.

[LDRover]

Fantastic game and atmosphere, always remember watching the TV highlights after the match (probably Granada) - there was a lad of twelve or so clinging onto the Blackburn End fence. As the camera panned past and went in close, you didn't need to be a lipreader to appreciate his ecstatic if foul-mouthed appreciation of Rovers getting back level with Newell's wondrous strike!

Love it!!

The 12 year old you allude to was actually a mate of mine who was 20 at the time. He had the freeze frame as his Facebook photo for a while!!

What a game though in the best atmosphere I can remember at Ewood. The half time break was surreal with non stop chanting and a kind of collective realisation that finally it was going to be OUR year.

[whittle blue]