Gudjohnsen handed 20-goal challenge as Rovers make it two home wins in a row
Sunday 11 October 2026 · By Nathan Pryce
Ewood Park is starting to feel like a fortress again. Blackburn Rovers beat Cardiff City 2–1 on Saturday for their second home league win in a row, and Tony Mowbray left the ground with a smile on his face and a target for his centre-forward.
Rovers were in control by half-time. Andri Gudjohnsen opened the scoring on 28 minutes and Todd Cantwell doubled the lead ten minutes later, giving the home crowd plenty to cheer. Cardiff did respond after the break, with Callum Robinson pulling one back on 53 minutes, but Rovers held on for a deserved three points.
Mowbray was particularly pleased that his preparation paid off. He told the Lancashire Telegraph he was delighted that the training plan had worked, which is no small thing given the disruption of the international break. Getting players back up to speed after a long gap is never easy, and Rovers looked sharp from the start.
The headline of the weekend, though, was the target Mowbray set Gudjohnsen: 20 goals this season. It is an ambitious ask, but the Icelandic striker has the talent to hit it, and public backing from the manager can be a powerful motivator. If he gets anywhere close, Rovers will be in good shape.
There was one note of controversy. Cardiff boss Brian Barry-Murphy felt Gudjohnsen’s opener should have been ruled out for offside. Rovers will not lose any sleep over that one – these things tend to even out over a season – but it is worth noting.
The win lifts Blackburn to 12th on 12 points, with three wins, three draws and three defeats from nine games. The form guide – DLLWDW – shows a side that is starting to find some consistency after a sticky spell. They are just two points off the play-off places, which shows how tight this division is.
This is Mowbray’s second spell at the club, and the football has been more attractive than it was at times last season. The challenge has been turning that into results, and back-to-back home wins suggest the tide may be turning. Fourteen goals in nine games is a respectable return, too.
Now Rovers need to take that form on the road. They head to Bristol City on Tuesday night (13 October), where Michael Skubala’s side drew 1–1 at Charlton on Saturday. City sit tenth on 14 points, so this is a game between two sides in and around the play-off chase.
Then comes a trip to West Brom on Saturday 17 October. James Morrison’s side lost the Midlands derby to Birmingham at the weekend and have lost two in a row, so they will be desperate to respond in front of their own fans. It will be a tough afternoon.
After those two away games, Rovers return to Ewood Park to face Wrexham on Saturday 24 October, before a trip to leaders Swansea on Saturday 31 October.
For now, the mood around Ewood is improving. Two home wins in a row, a striker with a clear target and a manager whose plans are paying off – things are looking up for Rovers.
Ewood Park has been home to Blackburn Rovers since 1890 and remains one of the most distinctive grounds on the Championship circuit. The current all-seater bowl holds 31,367 and is built as four separate stands around a pitch of roughly 105 metres by 69 metres. Visiting supporters are almost always placed in the Bryan Douglas Darwen End, the two-tier stand behind the southern goal. That is the red block on the plan above; the white goal frame sits directly in front of it, with the matching goal at the opposite end in front of the Ronnie Clayton Blackburn End.
How much of the Darwen End you get depends on the size of the travelling support. A modest following is usually put in the lower tier to one side of the goal. Bigger allocations take the upper tier as well, and for the largest cup ties the whole stand can be given over to away fans, taking the visiting number towards 4,000 and sometimes higher. Views are generally excellent: there is little of the old-style pillar obstruction you still find at some grounds, though seat rows are tight and the front row at pitch level is open to the weather.
The Jack Walker Stand runs the full length of the west touchline. It is the biggest structure on the site, with around 11,000 seats, the dressing rooms, the tunnel and most of the hospitality. Opposite it, on the east side beside the River Darwen, sits the older single-tier Riverside Stand, the only stand that was not rebuilt in the early 1990s redevelopment. Its seats spell out ROVERS. The north end, closest to Blackburn town centre, is the Ronnie Clayton Blackburn End, home of the louder Rovers support and the Fanzone and club shop underneath.
Address for sat-nav is Ewood Park, Nuttall Street, Blackburn, BB2 4JF. Mill Hill station is the nearer rail stop, about a ten-minute walk; Blackburn station is further, closer to twenty minutes on foot, but has more frequent services. If you are dropped by car or taxi for the away end, use the Velvet Street drop-off; Kidder Street serves the Blackburn End. The away ticket office sits on the Darwen End / Jack Walker corner if you need to collect on the day.
Turnstiles usually open 90 minutes before kick-off. The club asks visiting fans to be inside by 45 minutes before the start. Bags are searched and should be no larger than A4. Ewood Park is cashless: card and contactless only, including Apple Pay. Concourse kiosks sell the usual pies, rolls, burgers and chips, and alcohol is available. Facilities in the Darwen End are decent for a 1990s rebuild, with toilets and food points on the concourse. Wheelchair and scooter users are normally placed on the front row of the away section so friends can sit alongside; that row is step-free but exposed, so bring a coat.
A small away-friendly cluster sits on Bolton Road opposite the Darwen End, including Leavers Bakery for pies before the turnstiles. The Fernhurst is the nearest designated away pub. Stewards are generally straightforward if you arrive in good time and follow the bag and search rules. The ground still has the feel of a traditional English four-sided stadium rather than a continuous bowl, which is part of why an afternoon or evening here remains a proper away day: a clear view of both goals, a stand of your own behind one of them, and a short walk back to the train once the final whistle has gone.