Midfielder Sammie Szmodics grabbed his second brace of the season to ensure Blackburn’s 5,000th league game ended in a 2-1 home win against Middlesbrough.
Matt Crooks gave bottom-of-the-table Boro hope with a 55th-minute reply but, including last season’s two-legged play-off final defeat to Coventry, the Teessiders have now gone 11 games without a league win, equalling the club’s longest sequence outside the top flight since January 1925.
The game kicked off amid a mood of celebration as the hosts commemorated the landmark occasion by welcoming a series of club legends onto the pitch.
Among them were Premier League-winning defender Colin Hendry, former PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor and 89-year-old Bryan Douglas, who played for England at the 1958 and 1962 World Cup finals.
Rovers appeared buoyed by that reception and Tyrhys Dolan should have opened the scoring less than two minutes in, but he headed over an empty goal after Callum Brittain’s pinpoint right-wing cross had taken Boro goalkeeper Seny Dieng out of the equation.
The Senegal international was in the right position to parry away from Lewis Travis shortly afterwards.
Jonny Howson went on to fire too high with the visitors’ first attempt of the afternoon at the midway point of the half, before Szmodics fittingly grabbed the game’s opener just after fans had begun clapping on the half-hour mark in memory of PA announcer Matt Sillitoe, who tragically passed away last month at the age of 30.
After Sam Gallagher stepped over a forward pass by Hayden Carter, the ex-Peterborough midfielder swept a strike inside Dieng’s right-hand post from the edge of the box.
Boro rallied, with Marcus Forss forcing a smart near-post save from Aynsley Pears, while Emmanuel Latte Lath should have done better with two great headed chances from Howson dead-ball deliveries, directing the first wastefully wide and the second tamely at the home keeper.
An unchallenged Gallagher also missed the target for Rovers with another aerial opportunity from six yards on the stroke of half-time.
Dieng then had to be alert to deny Dolan just 25 seconds after the restart following a Szmodics right-wing raid, but the latter extended the lead in the 49th minute.
Receiving the ball from Ryan Hedges, Szmodics drilled a 20-yard effort that Dieng could only help into the top corner.
Boro refused to surrender, though, with Crooks cleverly flicking in from six yards from Forss’ cross to reduce the deficit.
After Dieng made a double save to deny Adam Wharton and Dolan, Boro then missed three great chances to level, with Latte Lath ballooning over, Forss prodding wide and Darragh Lenihan heading too high.
As the match continued to swing from end to end, Dieng displayed more sharp reflexes to deny Hedges twice and make a one-on-one stop to prevent Szmodics from claiming the match ball.
The profligate Latte Lath, meanwhile, burst clear on goal at the death, only for his heavy touch to gift Pears the chance to snatch the ball off his feet.
Inter Miami 1-0 D.C. United: Super-sub Campana seals late win
Inter Miami snatched a 1-0 win over D.C. United thanks to Leonardo Campana’s stoppage-time strike.
Campana had an instant impact after coming on in the 93rd minute as he volleyed in the winner just 25 seconds later.
Lionel Messi returned from a knee injury that kept him out against Orlando City but struggled to have his usual impact as Miami only managed eight shots.
Cristian Dajome had come closest to scoring for D.C. minutes after his introduction, but his dipping shot sailed over the bar.
Miami remain a point clear of FC Cincinnati at the top of the Eastern Conference, while D.C. sit ninth, a huge 14 points behind the league leaders.
Data Debrief: Miami continue to set the pace
Miami left it late to get back to winning ways but extended their unbeaten run to nine games. It is their longest run without defeat in the competition.
D.C. have now conceded eight goals in the last 15 minutes of the second half - only Montreal (10) and San Jose Earthquakes (10) have conceded more in that time in the MLS this season.
Montero to coach Juventus until end of the season
Paolo Montero will take charge of Serie A side Juventus for the remainder of the season following the dismissal of Massimiliano Allegri.
Juventus sacked their former head coach Allegri on Friday over his behaviour during and after this week's Coppa Italia final in which he was sent off, ending a long period of speculation over his future.
Montero, who coaches Juventus' Under-19s team, will take charge for their remaining two matches, at Bologna on Monday and against Monza at home on May 26.
The 52-year-old Uruguayan won four Serie A titles playing for Juventus as a defender from 1996 to 2005 and will take his first training session on Sunday.
"Paolo is a Juventus legend, firstly on the pitch, and someone who has long been a bearer of the club's DNA on the bench," Juve said in a statement.
"Best of luck, Paolo!"
Juve are assured of Champions League qualification but could still finish between third and fifth in Serie A this season.
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.
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