Andy Cole fires in the equaliser

ROVERS DID it the hard way but after a much improved second-half performance they salvaged a point and will feel disappointed not to have taken a victory.

Andy Cole took his tally to nine for the season but Rovers were still forced to come from a goal behind after Kevin Phillips fired Southampton into a fifth minute lead.

Following a half time switch around, Rovers took control of the game and but for some excellent saves from visiting goalkeeper Anti Niemi may have emerged with all three points.

In the absence of hamstrung duo Jonathan Stead and skipper Garry Flitcroft, Graeme Souness handed Martin Andresen a first Rovers appearance and also recalled Cole, also on the scoresheet last week, to the starting line-up.

His fellow goalscorer from Charlton, Brad Friedel made his 100th Premiership appearance for Rovers whilst Tugay came in at the expense of Andy Todd.

But, despite the changes, Rovers were extremely sluggish out of the blocks and Southampton were ahead within five minutes.

The centre halves failed to deal with James Beattie as a simple lofted ball came from midfield and the ex-Rover nodded down for a totally unmarked Phillips to bury in the back of Friedel's net.

Paul Gallagher tried to prompt a response from his team-mates, tricking his way down the left before whipping in a cross but Brett Emerton was well shackled by Graeme Le Saux.

It did not seem that way on fifteen minutes as Tugay's excellent through ball put the Australian in on goal but he could not get it out of his feet and seemed to be bundled to the ground by Le Saux. The referee was unmoving despite loud claims for a spot-kick.

Jon Douglas spurned an even better chance to equalise just three minutes later as Jason Dodd failed to cut out an innocuous Andresen ball but Niemi raced off his line to block with his legs.

At the other end Friedel had to be alert to turn Rory Delap's powerful header over the crossbar after a dangerous Fabrice Fernandes cross.

Andresen showed some flashes of skill in escaping the attentions of two opponents in the 32nd minute but wasted the chance by opting for a chip that sailed harmlessly over.

Impressive debut for Andresen

Two minutes later the lively Phillips went close to a second goal, again latching onto a Beattie knockdown before firing narrowly wide from outside the box.

Souness rang the changes at half-time after a disappointing first half performance. Gallagher was withdrawn with a suspected hamstring problem to be replaced by Matt Jansen and Dwight Yorke also came on for Douglas. The switch resulted in a change to 3-5-2 and gave Rovers greater attacking threat.

Andresen fired an early warning shot to the Saints shortly after the break. An Emerton corner was only half cleared and the Norwegian's instant dipping volley from the edge of the box flashed narrowly over.

With Yorke and Jansen providing a different kind of threat to the visiting backline, Rovers suddenly seemed likely to produce a goal and so it proved in the 52nd minute although the end result was scrappy.

Jansen battled for the ball in the box, Yorke managed to hold it up briefly before a Saints tackle deflected off the legs of Dodd into the path of Cole who finished clinically.

The ex Man United striker was giving Claus Lundekvam and Michael Svensson a torrid time and his link-up with Jansen almost resulted in another goal on 55 minutes.

This time, Cole took a pass from his partner, twisted and turned past Lundekvam before Niemi beat away his fierce shot.

Meanwhile, Delap's tendency to move into the box unnoticed nearly worked a treat as Le Saux's dangerous free kick came all the way to the midfielder but he hit an unbalanced volley wide from a great position.

It was good to see Jansen showing shades of his old self, leaping high to flick on long passes and showing no little skill with his feet, twice somehow keeping the ball when challenged by three Saints defenders.

The visitors will be amazed at how they did not score on 71 minutes when another free kick, this time from Dodd rocketed through a tangle of legs before being scrambled wide when a solitary touch would have brought a goal.

Delap tested Friedel from distance with a low drive before Niemi was at his best to deny Cole once more only for the offside flag to curtail any further play.

In a very open finish to the game, Delap sprang the offside trap, beat Short before cutting back invitingly for Paul Telfer but his teammate blazed over via a deflection off the impressive Michael Gray.

The final chance of the game fell to Tugay whose long shooting has brought some spectacular goals over his Rovers career. Unfortunately this time when Cole unselfishly set him up, the Turk shot a long way wide.

A crucial point for Rovers but with Arsenal next up at Ewood in two weeks time, a performance similar to the second half will be needed to compete with the champions-elect.

Rovers: Friedel, Neill, Short, Babbel, Gray, Emerton, Andresen, Tugay, Douglas (Yorke 46), Cole, Gallagher (Jansen 46). Subs not used: Enckelman, Gresko, Todd.

Southampton: Niemi, Dodd, Le Saux, Lundekvam, Phillips (Pahars 87), Beattie, Svensson, Delap, Prutton, Fernandes (McCann 62), Telfer. Subs not used: Smith, Ormerod, Higginbotham.

Rovers World will bring you more post match reaction and interviews next week.