BLACKBURN Rovers kept their chances of Europe next season after eventually overcoming Derby at Ewood Park.

The visitors shocked the home side when Kenny Miller opened the scoring for the already relegated side on 19 minutes as Mark Hughes' side looked decidedly off colour.

But a strike from Roque Santa Cruz on the stroke of half-time, pouncing after Roy Carroll couldn't hold Morten Gamst Pedersen's low strike, spared Rovers' blushes going into the break.

No doubt stung by the manager's words at half-time, Rovers were immediately in front, Jason Roberts firing home, capitalising on an Andy Todd error.

More goals could and should have come as the home side laid siege to Roy Carroll's goal, but it wasn't until Roque Santa Cruz headed home David Bentley's cross for his 23rd of the season that the result was confirmed.

Results elsewhere mean that Rovers move up to 7th in the league table, and still chasing a place in Europe for next season.

Boss Mark Hughes kept faith with the same starting eleven for the fourth consecutive game, Chris Samba having recovered from a knock to his leg, whilst Brett Emerton had passed a late fitness test.

But whilst the starting eleven was the same as previous weeks, the first half display differed wildly from those games against Portsmouth and Manchester United before them.

In front of a noisy Ewood crowd, the home side had a touch of nerves and Derby could certainly sense that an upset could be on the cards.

After just eight minutes the visitors went close, a poor back pass from Steven Reid caught Friedel on the hop, his clearance struck the onrushing Robert Earnshaw and was fortunate to see the ball loop narrowly over the crossbar.

Rovers went straight up the other end thanks to a precision pass from Johann Vogel, his picked out Jason Roberts on the edge of the area before shooting narrowly over at the near post. Two minutes later the home side had a similar chance on the left, but like Roberts before him, Morten Gamst Pedersen's near-post effort flew over the bar.

But on 19 minutes Rovers were rocked by a goal of simplicity that came out of nowhere. Rovers had threatened with a corner kick but as Roy Carroll came claimed the ball he immediately released a long punt upfield where Kenny Miller timed his run to perfection to catch Rovers out, the Scottish international slipping the ball into the back of the net to put the visitors in front.

Stunned by going a goal down Rovers struggled to get their passing game going, free-kick after free-kick awarded to the home side but little was made of any of them.

It looked like it would take a touch of class to get Mark Hughes side back into the game and that was nearly delivered by David Bentley, his delicate chip from the edge of the area was heading towards the top corner before Carroll's timely intervention, running backwards the Northern Ireland international tipped the ball over the bar.

Carroll was in the thick of the action moments later when he saved a Chris Samba header, but Rovers had Stephen Warnock for stopping them going two-goals down when he flung himself in front of a goalbound Earnshaw effort.

But with a half-time dressing down on the cards from the manager, Rovers levelled in injury time. Morten Gamst Pedersen with a vicious right-footed effort that skipped along the surface, Carroll for once couldn't hold and Roque Santa Cruz was there to net his 22nd goal of a memorable campaign.

Despite the late leveller, Hughes will still have been far from impressed with his side's first half display.

But those fans returning to their seats a little slowly at the resumption of play will have missed Jason Roberts put Rovers in front. Pedersen made a nuisance of himself on the left, blocking Todd's clearance before the former Rovers player inexplicably played the ball into the path of Jason Roberts who beat the advancing Carroll with a shot into the corner of the net.

Moments later Roberts was again in the thick of the action, latching onto a Santa Cruz through ball, but this time Carroll managed to deflect the shot wide.

Suddenly Rovers were rampant, Bentley wasted an opportunity to shoot from six yards attempting to pick out a team mate instead, then Roberts was denied a goal when his overhead kick was clawed wide.

Just past the hour mark the Rovers fans to a man all stood and applauded as Tugay came on to replace Johann Vogel. With Mark Hughes still undecided whether to offer the midfield maestro a new contract, the thirty minutes from Tugay may well have been his last at Ewood Park in a Rovers shirt.

Rovers continued to lay siege to the opposition goal, Roberts continuing his duel with Carroll, but again fingertips denied the former Wigan man adding to his goal tally. From the resulting corner kick, Ryan Nelsen was inches wide with a low drive.

But with the score at 2-1 Rovers still had to be on their guard, only a fantastic tackle by Stephen Warnock prevented Kenny Miller from getting the visitors back on level terms.

Carroll again denied Roberts, then Brett Emerton wasted a fantastic chance, blazing wide from Ryan Nelsen's cutback.

But just Ewood was heading towards a possible nervy last ten minutes, Rovers thankfully added a deserved third. David Bentley tested and teased his markers on the left before delivering a peach of a cross that a diving Roque Santa Cruz gobbled up. With one game left in the season, the Paraguayan is just one goal from matching Benni McCarthy's tally of 24 strikes from last season.

With the cushion of a two-goal lead, Hughes was able to give Martin Olsson his second taste of Premier League action, ironically his previous outing was against Derby County. Matt Derbyshire also came on, allowing the visiting supporters, who backed their beleaguered team throughout, to chant "Derbyshire, Derbyshire."

Robbie Savage wasted a chance to score on his return to Ewood Park when his floated free-kick went well wide, that being the last meaningful effort in a one-sided second half.

And as news filtered through that Aston Villa had lost at home to Wigan Athletic, the result means that Rovers go into the final game of the season away at Birmingham City still in with a shout of European football.

The players were given a resounding send-off as they did their traditional walk around the pitch at the end of the match, the undoubted star being Tugay who had his name chanted throughout. We still don't know if that was the Turk's final Ewood goodbye.

ROVERS: Friedel, Reid, Samba, Nelsen (c), Warnock, Bentley, Emerton, Vogel (sub Tugay 61 mins), Pedersen (sub Olsson 80 mins), Roberts (sub Derbyshire 80 mins), Santa Cruz.

Subs not used: Brown (GK), Ooijer.

DERBY: Carroll, McEveley, Earnshaw, Miller, Lewis (sub Villa 72 mins), Todd, Moore, Mears, Addison, Ghaly (sub Sterjovski 66 mins), Savage (c).

Subs not used: Price (GK), Feilhaber, Beardsley.

Booked: None

Attendance: 26,110