Cochrane treasures Ewood strike in famous derby win over Rovers!

The Northern Ireland international netted the winner with an exquisite strike in the 20th minute of an old Division Two fixture on Easter Monday 36 years ago.

Cochrane’s seventh league goal of the 1977/78 campaign wasn’t the last winning strike on Rovers’ patch - with Brian Hall adding to Tony Morley’s effort in a 2-1 victory the following term - but it’s one the 61-year-old has savoured since.

“Local derbies are always fun to be involved in and games against Blackburn were always cut and thrust,” Cochrane said. “I remember we were playing well at the time, we went in to the game extremely confident, and we won it 1-0.

“I scored the winner that day. I cut inside from the right and hit it in to the top corner from about 25 yards. It was a good goal and I’ve still got the cutting in my scrap book. It was really pleasing to hit a winning goal like that.”

He added: “I can’t remember the exact celebrations, but we went daft. Everyone was delighted to get in front. It was a great moment and I look back on that occasion with fond memories. It was one of the best goals I scored for Burnley. I wasn’t a great goalscorer but my goals usually came in great occasions and they were usually special.”

That triumph under Harry Potts was Burnley’s fifth win at Ewood Park in six visits, which included a 2-2 draw, with Potts also adding another to that tally the following season in an unbeaten spell that stretched just over two decades.

Now Cochrane is backing the Championship’s most potent strike pair to end Burnley’s misery of 35 years without a win against their fiercest rivals.

“It’s a surprising record,” he said. “They haven’t played each other too many times in that period though. Sam Vokes and Danny Ings have done great for Burnley this season and they seem to have come from nowhere. You always know that one of them will get you a goal.

“Centre forwards in that kind of form will get you up there and win you games that are tight. They’ve scored regularly, with 42 goals between them, which is a big plus.

“They are two predators and if they get the chance they need to put the ball in to the back of the net because it will ease the situation. Rovers will be up for it as well but it will quieten the home crowd and calm the whole occasion if Burnley go 1-0 up.

“Apart from David Nugent and Jamie Vardy at Leicester, there’s no other partnership like Vokes and Ings in the league. They’re the best strike force in the Championship.”

Cochrane added: “It’s good to play in those type of fixtures and they can give you a real boost. I will be watching it on Sunday because I’ve always had an affinity with the club. Hopefully they will beat Blackburn and that will give them a great chance of going up.”

Cochrane, who is one of many former professionals helping to compile statistics for Opta, has only seen the Clarets on one occasion this season which came in the 1-0 loss to his former club Middlesbrough on Boxing Day at the Riverside Stadium.

Cochrane, who made more than 100 appearances for Boro after joining from the Clarets, said: “They were actually quite disappointing when I saw them because they didn’t create much that day. But I know they are a great footballing team and that was just a one off.

“They’ve been consistent all season in their performances and results and the table doesn’t lie. They’re where they are on merit and I think it’s going to be a close fight between Leicester and Burnley for the title.”

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