A third league goal of the season proved insufficient for Reggae Boyz midfielder Ravel Morrison as his Derby County suffered a 3-1 defeat to Blackburn Rovers in their English Championship match at Ewood Park on Tuesday night.
The win boosted Blackburn’s play-off hopes while Derby, docked 21 points earlier in the season for breaches of financial rules and going into administration, suffered another setback in their survival bid.
Morrison, 29, who earlier this month scored his first league goals in England for almost eight years in a 2-0 win over Barnsley, converted Nathan Byrne’s low cross to open the scoring in the 28th minute for the Rams.
Blackburn were soon level as Scott Wharton headed home a Joe Rothwell corner after 53 minutes and Tyrhys Dolan netted a second moments later, meeting Bradley Dack’s cross.
Derby had dominated the opening period and had chances to level after falling behind, with Ravel Morrison denied several chances for a second, but was denied by defensive blocks and good goalkeeping.
As Derby strove for an equalizer, Blackburn added a third deep into injury time through a Sam Gallagher header on the break.
Derby manager Wayne Rooney said: “First half we were excellent … I thought we could have gone into the break more than one goal up. To concede two goals from set-pieces is just disappointing.”
Jamaican striker Junior Morias, 26, netted his seventh goal of the campaign – and third in successive matches – as Dagenham & Redbridge brought Southend’s unbeaten fifth-tier National League run to an end with an emphatic 4-0 win at Roots Hall.
The Daggers got off to a flying start with a goal inside five minutes when Matt Robinson’s effort deflected into the net by Southend defender Will Atkinson.
Dagenham wing-back Myles Weston hit the inside of the far post before Morias added a second in the 28th minute and Matt Robinson made it three with 20 minutes left to reignite Dagenham’s play-off hopes as Southend’s 13-match unbeaten run came to an end.
(CMC)
