On an arctic evening at Ewood Park, 81 Pleckgate pupils a man of the match performance from Sammie Szmodics, a player operating at the peak of his powers, saw Birmingham sent packing back to the home of the Peaky Blinders pointless.
This superb experience was organised by One Voice Man of the Year for 2023, Yasir Sufi who has done amazing work placing Rovers at the heart of the Asian community with many innovative initiatives like the Ewood Express and Eid prayers on the Ewood pitch. Yasir is the son of Pleckgate Mr Sufi who has been Man of the Year for every one of his 20 years at Pleckgate High School. Pleckgate pupils were invited onto the hallowed Ewood turf to wave the legendary Rovers Rose flag. The motto on the flag, “arte et labore” “through skill and hard work” is why the pupils had been selected for the trip due to their commitment to school sport.
After a bright start, United legend Wayne Rooney’s Birmingham got on top carving Rovers open down the wings particularly the dangerous Dembele and Rovers were relieved to get in at half time on level terms. Jon Dahl Tomasson listened to the advice of Pleckgate’s special one Mr Ainsworth withdrawing Lewis Travis moving Callum Brittain to right back and bringing on Sigurdsson at half time.
The tactical change reaped instant rewards as two exquisite finishes the first after a delightful through ball from Rovers midfield starlet Adam Wharton. The second was the result of a good passage of flowing football from Rovers. Former England goalkeeper John Ruddy was left red faced by a goalkeeping blunder that gifted James Hill Rovers 3rd goal after a speculative strike from outside the box. Rovers players celebrated in front of an ecstatic Blackburn End and Pleckgate pupils in the family stand.
Birmingham showed great resilience and Dembele got two goals that his performance deserved, the first nut-megging full back Brittain before curling a beautiful finish into the top corner, the second was a good strike but Rovers keeper Wahlstedt joined Ruddy with a “must do better” on his goal-keeping report. This set up a nervy finish with Birmingham pushing for an equalizer and Rovers fans fearing a repeat of the last minute against local rivals Preston North End. With Rovers fans, particularly Mr Haworth pleading for Rovers to play into the corners and run the clock down a slick passing move clinically finished by Harry Leonard to end the game as a contest.
A bouncing Blackburn End and Pleckgate pupils celebrated singing, “Szmodics on fire, your defence is terrified!! Hopefully Pleckgate pupils will be inspired to play sport for life and get down to Ewood Park to roar Rovers on for a play-off push!
A special thank you to the best team of the night the dedicated Pleckgate staff whose altruism on a freezing winter’s night allowed Pleckgate pupils to have such a fantastic experience Mrs S Patel, Miss Laher, Mr Wakeman, Miss Bland, Miss Sim, Mr Hussain, Mr Haworth, Mr Pickup, Mr Ainsworth, Mr Livesey.
Attendance: 12 693
