Sammie Szmodics celebrated his new contract by firing a second-half brace to help Blackburn to an enthralling 4-2 victory over Birmingham.
Wayne Rooney’s men had the better of the first half and Siriki Dembele clattered the woodwork but the visitors were made to pay for that profligacy.
Szmodics, who extended his Blackburn deal to 2026 on Tuesday, showed his clinical edge by lobbing John Ruddy in the 47th minute before another lofted finish five minutes later gave him his 13th of the campaign.
The game looked over when James Hill profited from a goalkeeping error to net his first Blackburn goal but Birmingham turned the game on its head.
Szmodics’ former Peterborough teammate Dembele netted a brace of his own with a classy 63rd-minute strike before a spectacular 20-yard effort gave the visitors real hope of an improbable point.
Harry Leonard’s injury-time strike made the points safe for Blackburn, who go seventh after a third win in four. Birmingham have now lost seven consecutive away games.
Birmingham weathered a fast Blackburn start and should have gone ahead in the 23rd minute when Lee Buchanan lashed over from close range.
They went closer three minutes later when Dembele tricked his way into the area on the left before unleashing an effort that rattled the crossbar.
Juninho Bacuna missed a glorious chance just before the break when he received the ball on the right but flashed a low shot beyond the far post, and Ruddy kept the scores level just before the break when he parried Callum Brittain’s curling shot behind.
Blackburn were ruthless after the break and Szmodics put them ahead in the 47th minute when he latched on to Adam Wharton’s defence-splitting pass before lobbing the stranded Ruddy.
He repeated the trick five minutes later, meeting Leonard’s clever pass before calmly lifting the ball over the goalkeeper from inside the area and it felt like game over in the 59th minute when Hill let fly with a speculative effort that Ruddy allowed to squirm beyond him and into the corner.
Birmingham came roaring back and superb skill from Dembele four minutes later saw him go past Brittain and fire clinically into the top corner.
It changed the complexion of the game and Leopold Wahlstedt made a smart near-post save from Bacuna before his brilliant reaction stop repelled Lukas Jutkiewicz’s point-blank header.
Dembele’s fifth of the season in the 78th minute, a stunning curling strike from the edge of the area that flew into the roof of the net, set up a grandstand finish.
But Leonard fired into the bottom-left corner in the second minute of injury time to secure the points as Ewood breathed a collective sigh of relief.
Cavalier SC clinch Jamaica Premier League title in dramatic penalty shootout victory over Mount Pleasant
Cavalier SC secured their third Jamaica Premier League title in thrilling fashion on Sunday night, defeating defending champions Mount Pleasant FA 4-3 on penalties at the National Stadium in Kingston.
After a hard-fought 1-1 draw in regulation and extra time, the match was decided by a tense penalty shootout. Cavalier SC goalkeeper Vino Barclett emerged as the hero, making two crucial saves during the shootout. Nicholas Hamilton, who entered the game late in extra time, sealed the victory with the decisive penalty.
Mount Pleasant had taken the lead in the 65th minute through Devonte Campbell, whose well-placed shot found the net. However, Cavalier SC quickly responded just two minutes later when Richard King leveled the score from close range.
Despite both teams pushing for a winner in extra time, neither could break the deadlock, leading to the drama of penalties. Initially trailing 0-2 in the shootout, Cavalier SC staged a remarkable comeback, holding their nerve to prevail 4-3.
In the playoff for third place earlier in the day, Arnett Gardens secured a convincing 4-1 victory over Waterhouse.
Cavalier SC's triumph marks a significant achievement for the club, avenging last year's final defeat to Mount Pleasant and showcasing their resilience and determination throughout the season.
Injured Ederson replaced in expanded Brazil Copa America squad
Brazil coach Dorival Junior has replaced the injured Ederson for the Copa America and called three more players up to an expanded squad.
South American governing body CONMEBOL announced that teams can now name a 26-man squad, up from the original 23 allowed at the tournament.
Dorival Junior has called upon Juventus defender Bremer, Atalanta midfielder Ederson and Porto forward Pepe as the extra players for his team.
Manchester City's Ederson will not be fit to play at the Copa America, so Sao Paolo's Rafael has been called up in his place.
The goalkeeper suffered a small fracture on his eye socket in a heavy collision with Cristian Romero against Tottenham and missed the end of their league season.
Brazil’s original 23-man squad, announced earlier this month, did not include Casemiro, Richarlison or Gabriel Jesus, though 17-year-old prodigy Endrick was included.
Selecao are nine-time winners of the Copa America and will kick off their campaign against Costa Rica in Group D on June 24.
Outgoing Brighton boss De Zerbi not walking into new job
Roberto De Zerbi insisted he does not have another job lined up after overseeing his final game as Brighton and Hove Albion boss on Sunday.
One day after surprisingly announcing De Zerbi's departure, Brighton ended their Premier League campaign with a 2-0 home loss to Manchester United.
That meant they slipped below rivals Crystal Palace to finish 11th in the table, their first bottom-half placing since finishing 16th in 2020-21.
De Zerbi has been linked with several big clubs since leading Brighton to European qualification last season, with Bayern Munich, Milan and Napoli touted as possible landing spots for the former Sassuolo and Shakhtar Donetsk coach.
However, De Zerbi says he has not reached an agreement with any other club, telling reporters: "There isn't any club – no-one offered me anything. At the moment, nothing.
"I hope to work in the Premier League again. I don't know where or when, but it was an honour to work in the Premier League."
Sunday's defeat was De Zerbi's 70th Premier League game in charge of Brighton, with his top-flight win percentage of 37 per cent (26/70) the highest of any boss in the Seagulls' history.
Battling a lengthy injury list for much of 2023-24, Brighton made a total of 143 changes to their starting lineup throughout the course of the campaign, with only Manchester City in 2019-20 (144) ever making more in a single Premier League season.
Asked by BBC Match of the Day if there was a particular reason for his exit, the Italian added: "We didn't find the agreement to move on. I want to keep my way.
"I know very well what I want to do and I know I am a coach and I have to accept the policies of the club.
"They gave me an incredible chance. They gave me the possibility to know incredible people, to play and to work in the Premier League, to play in the Europa League. They gave me the opportunity to know this club, this city, these fans and that I cannot forget."
Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna and Nice coach Francesco Farioli have both been tipped as possible contenders to replace De Zerbi, with Brighton having a reputation for excellent succession planning under owner Tony Bloom.
Asked about the search for a replacement on Sunday, Bloom said: "We always try and have a plan. We have got a plan. We now need to execute that plan."
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