Jon Dahl Tomasson praised the impact of Sammie Szmodics after his brace helped Blackburn to a pulsating 4-2 win over Birmingham.
Szmodics set Rovers on their way in the 47th minute, lobbing John Ruddy after beating the Birmingham offside trap, and his delicate finish five minutes later doubled the advantage.
When James Hill made it three, it felt like job done but Siriki Dembele hit a stunning brace of his own, curling into the top corner and firing into the roof of the net before Harry Leonard secured the points in injury time.
Szmodics has netted six in his last four and 13 for the season and after the game Tomasson praised his overall impact.
He said: “He’s flying. Not only this week, and this month, I think actually Sammie has been playing extremely well in the last year and now he’s adding a lot of goals, which we need.
“We’re extremely pleased for Sammie.
“We want to play a game, a modern way, a fluent game where you play quick, one or two touches, within one or two seconds – it’s a way of talking without using words and Sammie is one of those players that can do that.
“He can play and go, play the ball and move immediately, he has a great feeling regarding space as well and he always creates chances or when the ball finds him, he’s in a good position.
“And of course he works really hard against the ball which every team needs.
“I’m pleased he’s getting chances and scoring and even when he misses a chance, he keeps his head up.”
The result means it is one win in seven for Wayne Rooney, who felt there were positives in the Blues performance but described the goals conceded as “schoolboy”.
He said: “The goals were very poor from our point of view. I thought for large portions of the game, we were very good and caused Blackburn a lot of problems.
“The goals are schoolboy. I take responsibility for that but I think we as defenders, goalkeeper and midfielders, we need to be better because we can’t keep allowing teams to score goals like that against us.
“First five minutes of the second half, I said to the players at half-time, are so important.
“I felt first half we really quietened their crowd, and not to give them momentum and encouragement to get up and we do the opposite.
“It’s cost us the game but it’s hard to sit here and take the defeat after such a positive performance.
“We created some really good chances. We have to be more clinical because I think we’ve had 20-odd attempts at goal today and scored two. Really frustrated with the defeat.”
Fiorentina 2-2 Napoli: Kvaratskhelia keeps visitors' slim European hopes alive
Dethroned Italian champions Napoli's hopes of playing European football next season are hanging by a thread after they played out a 2-2 draw at Fiorentina in Serie A on Friday.
Napoli took the lead in the eighth minute through defender Amir Rrahmani, who nodded home a corner by Matteo Politano.
Cristiano Biraghi levelled for Fiorentina in the 40th minute from a free-kick, before M'Bala Nzola put the hosts in front two minutes later when he fired a shot into the bottom corner of the net.
Napoli's Khvicha Kvaratskhelia responded with another stunning free-kick early in the second half to rescue a point for his team.
Eighth-placed Fiorentina, on 54 points and with a game in hand, are five points behind Lazio in seventh.
They can still earn a Europa League spot either by leapfrogging the Rome side or by winning the Europa Conference League final in which they face Greece's Olympiakos on May 29.
Ninth-placed Napoli, on 52 points, still have a slim chance of making the Europa Conference League playoffs.
Data Debrief
Fiorentina left-back Biraghi has now scored six goals from direct free-kicks since the start of 2021-22, which is behind only James Ward-Prowse (seven) - now of West Ham and formerly of Southampton - as the most across Europe's top five leagues in that period.
Kvaratskhelia also levelled via a direct free-kick, making this the first Serie A match in which both teams scored via that route since Fiorentina against Lazio in April 2018 (Jordan Veretout and Luis Alberto in that case).
Southampton 3-1 West Brom (3-1 agg): Saints set up play-off final with Leeds United
Southampton saw off West Brom 3-1 at St Mary's on Friday to set up a Championship play-off final showdown with Leeds United.
Leeds thumped Norwich City 4-0 at Elland Road 24 hours earlier to book their place at Wembley, where Southampton now await on May 26.
The first leg between the Saints and West Brom finished goalless - just like the other semi-final - but the home side's quality told in the end.
Russell Martin's side dominated the first-half possession, with David Brooks going closest to scoring with a shot that hit the outside of the post.
Southampton made the breakthrough via a powerful Will Smallbone finish four minutes into the second half after Gray Diangana lost possession.
Darnell Furlong had a shot helped over by Alex McCarthy, while David Brooks - who assisted the opener - had a strong penalty appeal rejected.
Southampton remained in control, though, and Adam Armstrong scored a second with a shot through Furlong's legs and past Alex Palmer.
Armstrong's second goal arrived from the penalty spot in the 86th minute after Tom Fellows fouled Ryan Manning in the box, rendering Cedric Kipre's late header a mere consolation.
Marc Skinner signs Manchester United Women contract extension
Marc Skinner has signed a one-year contract extension as Manchester United Women head coach with the option of a further 12 months.
The 41-year-old guided United to their first major silverware last weekend with victory over Tottenham in the Women's FA Cup final.
United are fifth in the Women's Super League with one game to go - a massive drop on last term's runners-up finish - but Skinner will stay on.
"It's an honour to extend my stay at Manchester United," Skinner, who was appointed in 2021, told United's official website after the news was confirmed on Friday.
"I've always felt at home here, with our excellent players, staff, and fans.
"Being able to secure the team's first major trophy at Wembley was a real career highlight for me and another sign of our continued growth, on and off the field."
United conclude their campaign on Saturday against Chelsea, who lead Manchester City on goal difference entering the final day.
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