Luton Town manager Matt Bloomfield has hit out at Blackburn Rovers’ ‘theatrics’ following a 1-0 defeat at Kenilworth Road.
The Hatters had seen their survival hopes boosted in recent weeks after embarking on a five game unbeaten run. However, three of those have earned Bedfordshire-based side just a point, including their previous outing at Stoke City.
In a typically cagey affair, Bloomfield’s side secured a draw from the clutches of defeat when Millenic Alli struck in added time. That gave Luton the confidence to build on that result against a Blackburn team that have struggled as of late, having not tasted victory since mid-February.
The first half was uneventful, with the two teams entering the break goalless. Rovers sparked the game into life early in the second half though when Yuki Ohashi gave the visitors a lead.
Head coach Valerien Ismael was searching for his first win since replacing John Eustace in February, and saw his hopes given a blow when Kristi Montgomery was shown a second yellow card just before the hour mark. However, Luton were unable to forge a way back into the game and Blackburn stood firm to secure the three points.
Bloomfield Unhappy With Opponents ‘Theatrics’
The defeat leaves Luton three points adrift of safety with four games remaining, whilst they also possess a much worse goal difference that 21st placed Derby County. Speaking after the game, Bloomfield admitted he was disappointed with the tactics deployed by their Championship rivals:
“Yeah, there was a lot of theatrics going on today which makes it frustrating. And there was nine added on, it could have been double that.
“But, yeah, there’s a lot of theatrics going on. It makes a slight charade of the game at times, but it goes on a lot.”
Writer’s View
Blackburn played the game excellently after being reduced to 10 men, frustrating Luton and breaking up the play. It’s a tactic that any team would deploy in the same situation and they can’t be blamed for doing so. Bloomfield clearly wasn’t happy with that but it’s deflecting from the poor performance his team put in. They’re now fast running out of time and it looks as if they are going to suffer back-to-back relegations. Three points is attainable, but it is likely they will need more than that due to their vastly inferior
