Ryan Longman was delighted to net the winner as the Tigers closed 2024 with a 1-0 victory over Blackburn Rovers.
The forward was part of a triple substitution when coming off the bench prior to the hour mark, with the 24-year-old making his mark when receiving Regan Slater’s pass before calmly and clinically finishing the chance off in-front of the travelling City faithful.
“I was told to impact the game. It was a scruffy game and both teams could have won it. We got the luck of the draw and picked up a goal, and you can see how much the boys worked for the three points,” said Longman.
“Obviously, it was my day to get the goal which I am buzzing about, but the most important thing was the three points which is what we were working on.
“Regan has been excellent and I think he deserves a goal next. Hopefully he will get that soon, because he has been class for us and you can see how much he works for the team and how close he has been over recent weeks.
“I thought the lads were excellent and it is just about hard work. That is what the gaffer wants from the team and I think the substitutes in both wins against Swansea and Blackburn have made the difference.”
Celebrating his finish in front of the 1,228 fans in the away end, the 24-year-old shared a moment with the City faithful at full-time to thank them for their support, not just for that fixture at Ewood Park but also for the entirety of the season too.
To begin 2025, City welcome Middlesbrough to the MKM Stadium before hosting Leeds United on Saturday. Looking forward to test himself against two teams within the top six, the Redhill-born forward wants to build on the performance against Blackburn, which saw City record their first clean sheet since August, ahead of facing Boro and the Whites.
“It is great and something to work on,” answered Longman when asked about keeping a clean sheet. “We need to keep getting clean sheets, starting on New Year’s Day and then Leeds too. We need to keep working on it, because if you can keep the game goalless for as long as possible, you can go and win a game.
“The fans were class as always. It was great to see them and glad that we could get the three points for them. It means a lot to celebrate with them. We want more of that and I want more of that, so that is what we have to strive for. With all the fans and with the win against Blackburn behind us, we’re in good stead to go and get the three points against Middlesbrough.”
