Ben Brereton Diaz puts speculation aside to earn Blackburn victory at Blackpool

Blackburn striker Ben Brereton Diaz impressed hugely ahead of transfer deadline day as his clinical strike secured a 1-0 win at Blackpool in the Championship.

Diaz, who has been strongly linked with a move away from Rovers before the window closes on Thursday, struck the game’s only goal in the 16th minute.

The visitors halted a three-match losing run with a sparkling overall display, while Blackpool’s mini-revival of three games without defeat was checked.

Despite the feverish speculation surrounding Blackpool’s Josh Bowler and Rovers’ Brereton Diaz ahead of deadline day, both started for their respective clubs at a lively Bloomfield Road.

And it was Bowler who was first to show a spark, drilling in an arrowing 20-yard volley which was inadvertently blocked on its way to goal by team-mate Rhys Williams.

He was soon to be upstaged by Brereton Diaz, however, as the Chile international broke the deadlock.

Latching on to Bradley Dack’s precise through-ball, Brereton Diaz charged towards goal before superbly slotting past Dan Grimshaw from the edge of the box.

That was his third goal of the fledgling campaign, but Rovers’ first in four matches.

The visitors had made the much more confident start to the game, with the Seasiders struggling to gain some much-needed momentum.

Ten minutes before the break Rovers fluffed a presentable chance when Dack scooped disappointingly over the top following a smart drag-back from Tyrhys Dolan.

Skipper Lewis Travis also tried his luck from distance, but he was narrowly off target.

Rovers were dominant in the run-up to the break, and they went agonisingly close again when Tyler Morton’s effort only just cleared the crossbar following a neat one-two with Dolan.

Brereton Diaz almost turned provider shortly after the restart. He teed up Dolan, but his fellow front-man dragged an angled strike just past the post.

With Rovers bossing it again and Blackpool rattled, Brereton Diaz also fizzed a crisp effort inches wide.

The visitors’ man of the moment then forced Grimshaw into a superb diving stop as they desperately sought a potentially victory-clinching second goal.

There was no shortage of effort going in from Michael Appleton’s Seasiders, but as the hour mark passed they were still second best in what was proving to be an enthralling clash.

Rovers threatened again in the 69th minute when Grimshaw was brilliant once more in keeping out sub Jack Vale’s curling effort.

With time running out for the hosts, they almost bagged a scarcely-deserved equaliser with nine minutes left when Jerry Yates fired disappointingly straight at keeper Thomas Kaminski.

However, Rovers deservedly hung on to complete victory against their local rivals.