Wanderers (4-4-2)

JUSSI JAASKELAINEN ... 7: A sensational save counted for nothing.

ANTHONY BARNESS ... 8: Had his work cut out with Duff but did well.

GUDNI BERGSSON ... 8: Imperious, despite periods under pressure.

MIKE WHITLOW ... 8: Inspirational in his current form.

SIMON CHARLTON ... 7: Didn't give an inch when the going got tough.

BO HANSEN ... 6: Squandered one of the few first half chances.

PAUL WARHURST ... 7: Super-charged from first whistle to last.

KEVIN NOLAN ... 7: A valuable defensive contribution in midfield.

RICARDO GARDNER ... 7:Starting to look the part again.

HENRIK PEDERSEN ... 6: Missed out in a couple of good positions.

MICHAEL RICKETTS ... 6: Chances but failed to trouble Friedel.

Subs: Dean Holdsworth (6) for Hansen (h-t), Rod Wallace (7) for Ricketts 63 mins, Bruno N'Gotty for Pedersen 83 mins. Not used: Colin Hendry, Steve Banks.

ROVERS (3-5-2)

BRAD FRIEDEL ... 7: Hardly troubled apart from the goal.

LUCAS NEILL ... 8: The former Millwall man impressed.

HENNING BERG ... 7: Hansen should have punished his poor clearance.

STIG INGE BJORNEBYE ... 7: Ricketts almost cashed in on his error.

DAMIEN JOHNSON ... 6: Kept busy on the Rovers right.

TUGAY ... 7: Close to catching Jaaskelainen out of bounds

GARRY FLITCROFT ... 7: Never far away from the action.

ALAN MAHON ... 6: Spurned a terrific first half chance.

DAMIEN DUFF ... 8: His dashing runs were Rovers' main threat.

MATT JANSEN ... 7: Couldn't believe Jaaskelainen saved his shot.

CORRADO GRABBI ... 7: Another blank for the unlucky Italian.

Subs: Jason McAteer (6) for Mahon 57 mins, Marcus Bent for Grabbi 73 mins, Mark Hughes for Johnson 77 mins. Not used: Craig Hignett, John Filan.

Referee: Jeff Winter (Cleveland).

Attendance: 25,949.

Goals: Rovers - Neill 87 mins; Wanderers - Wallace 69 mins.

Shots/headers on target: Rovers 6, Wanderers 5.

Corners: Rovers 10, Wanderers 2.

Offsides: Rovers 6, Wanderers 3.

Fouls committed: Rovers 15, Wanderers 14.

Bookings: Wanderers - Hansen 32 mins (dissent), Warhurst 41 mins (dissent), Wallace 79 (dissent), Jaaskelainen 82 (time wasting).

MEN OF THE MATCH: MIKE WHITLOW & GUDNI BERGSSON

STRIDE for stride at the back, the two old hands stood up to a determined Rovers strikeforce and limited them to only a handful of chances - the first on target coming eight minutes into the second half

MAGIC MOMENT

IT was the stuff dreams are made of - little Rod Wallace coming out of the wilderness to power a header past Friedel and put Wanderers' fans in sight of a dramatic derby triumph.

MOAN OF THE MATCH

WANDERERS left Ewood cursing themselves for conceding a late equaliser to a set-piece - such are the standards they have set themselves and the soul-searching that goes on with every goal they let in.

KICK BY KICK

17 mins: Bergsson has to be at his best, backtracking to prevent Grabbi making more of a long Friedel clearance; Mahon's skidding corner forces Jaaskelainen to make an uncomfortable save.

26 mins: Gardner cuts loose with a weaving run to feed Pedersen but the big Dane shoots tamely at Friedel.

30 mins: Berg clears Gardner's cross but only as far as Hansen who has time to shoot - again failing to seriously test Friedel.

34 mins: Duff gets to the by-line ahead of Barness and sees Grabbi cleverly step over his cross leaving Mahon a clear shot on goal but the ex-Tranmre man fires over.

37 mins: Wanderers breathe easy again as Grabbi fails to connect cleanly after Jansen's cross gives him a clear sight of goal.

43 mins: Jaaskelainen is lucky when his clearance falls straight to Tugay, whose long-range shot flashes narrowly wide with the goal unguarded.

Half-time: Rovers 0, Wanderers 0.

53 mins: Grabbi meets Jansen's cross and forces Jaaskelainen to make his first save of the game.

55 mins: Ricketts misses the target after Holdsworth unselfishly lets Pedersen's cross run.

58 mins: A terrific passage of play ends with Jansen sending Duff clear on a counter-attack which ends with the Irishman shooting inches wide.

60 mins: Bjornebye's mistake tees up Ricketts but he fails to get a firm connection.

62 mins: Wanderers are stretched for once and are relieved as Duff shoots straight at Jaaskelainen.

67 mins: Grabbi pounces on a rare Barness mistake and hits a rasping shot against the bar.

GOAL!

69 mins: Wallace ("3ft 6ins tall" according to Whitlow) leaps to head Gardner's corner past a stunned Friedel.

75 mins: Bent spies half a chance but lifts his shot over the bar.

GOAL!

87 mins: Jaaskelainen makes the save of the game to keep out Jansen's point-blank shot but the relief is short-lived as Neill powers in to head home Duff's resulting corner.

Full-time: Rovers 1, Wanderers 1.