Blackburn boss Tony Mowbray said matchwinner John Buckley will be a “big player” after his first goal for the club snatched a dramatic 2-1 win over Sheffield Wednesday.
Jacob Murphy’s 83rd-minute header – his second goal of the season – looked to have given the Owls the points, but Rovers turned the game on its head.
Loanee Tosin Adarabioyo equalised with a towering header in the 88th-minute and 20-year-old academy graduate Buckley snatched all three points in the first minute of stoppage time when his deflected strike wrong-footed goalkeeper Keiren Westwood.
It ends a three-game winless run at Ewood Park for Blackburn, who had previously taken two points from six league games.
Mowbray predicted big things for Buckley after the game, describing it as a “day to remember”.
He said: “I hope his (Buckley’s) parents were here. John Buckley is a young player we trust and believe in but it’s very difficult to give young boys game time when the team is struggling to win football matches.
“John is going to be a big player for this club in the future, I hope.
“I think that’s why we’re in football. I think these are days to remember for supporters of the club.
“For the 93 minutes it felt a bit like deja vu, not getting much from hard work in football matches, a lot of team spirit which is evident and yet the result can rip all that up and throw it in the bin.
“The team kept going and got their rewards in the end for their team spirit and togetherness and I’m delighted for them.
“I was going to say ‘let’s hope we don’t have that every week’, but we would like that every week if we win. It’s not easy on the heart strings.”
Wednesday drop out of the play-off places following the end of their four-game unbeaten run.
Boss Garry Monk said his team paid “the ultimate price” as their winless streak on the road stretched to three.
“We knew coming here would be tough,” he said. “We had the lead, the control but for the last five minutes we lost concentration and paid the ultimate price.
“We were exactly where we needed to be for the game we prepared for, but mistakes proved costly.
“We worked so hard but you can’t make those mistakes at this level. It’s hugely disappointing to give up those three points as we did.
“To not sit out those final few minutes, we’ll learn from it and take it on the chin, making sure it doesn’t happen again.
“They are experienced players in there, hugely disappointed.
“We prepared and worked hard in the week, we got the game we thought we would get here but switched off in the last five minutes. We have to take responsibility.
“It’s about tidying up those little things now and dusting ourselves down. The players are giving their all.”
