Wrexham produced a commanding away performance to defeat Blackburn Rovers 2-0 at Ewood Park, with Ollie Rathbone scoring a stunning volley to cap a vital Championship victory.
Ruthless Wrexham seize early initiative
Despite missing key attackers Kieffer Moore and Josh Windass through injury, Phil Parkinson's side started with remarkable intensity. Their early pressure paid dividends in the 11th minute. Matty James delivered a perfectly weighted lofted pass that caught the Blackburn defence off guard, allowing Sam Smith to surge forward. The striker took a deft touch before firing a left-footed shot past goalkeeper Aynsley Pears at his near post for his second goal of the season.
Wrexham's dominance continued, and they came close to doubling their lead shortly after. Ryan Longman's cross from the right found Smith again, but his redirected effort flew into the side-netting. Blackburn, in contrast, offered little in response during a first half where they were comprehensively outplayed.
Rathbone's moment of magic
The visitors' superiority was spectacularly rewarded seven minutes before half-time. From a set-piece, Dan Scarr directed a header into the penalty area towards Rathbone. With his back to goal and under pressure from Ryan Hedges, the midfielder produced a moment of pure quality. He connected perfectly with a first-time volley as the ball dropped over his shoulder, sending an unstoppable shot looping over Pears and into the net.
The goal marked Rathbone's second in as many games and was a fitting way to celebrate his first league start of the campaign. It left the home crowd stunned and effectively put the result beyond doubt before the interval.
Blackburn's failed response and Wrexham's control
The second half saw a slight improvement from the hosts, who came agonisingly close to pulling a goal back in the 56th minute. Moussa Baradji brought down a pass superbly in the box and unleashed a fierce shot that cannoned off the underside of the crossbar, bounced in front of the line, and was cleared.
That was as close as Rovers came. Wrexham nearly punished them immediately on the counter-attack, with Pears forced into an excellent save to deny Lewis O'Brien after being sent clear by Smith. Blackburn's Yuki Ohashi dragged a late chance wide, but the final whistle was met with a chorus of boos from the frustrated home supporters.
The result means Wrexham have now won three consecutive Championship matches and climbed to eighth in the table. For Blackburn, managed by Valérien Ismaël, this insipid home display extends a worrying run to just one win in their last eight games, intensifying concerns about a potential relegation battle.
