Allardyce reads the danger signs

THERE were no cryptic gestures to vex Sam Allardyce here: just the grim reality that his Blackburn side remain entrenched in the dirtiest of dog-fights at the foot of the table.

If nothing else, this result will at least restore some focus to the Rovers manager.

Allardyce bizarrely chose to become embroiled in a spat with Rafael Benitez last week, criticising the Spaniard’s innocuous-looking gesture after Liverpool’s second goal against his team last week, but his time might have been better served giving this trip to Stoke his full attention.

Rovers paid the price by slipping to a defeat that leaves them in dire danger, just three points clear of danger, and Allardyce now the bottom three his team will have to remain unbeaten in their remaining five matches.

But with 34 points already secured Allardyce believes if they can avoid defeat against Wigan, Manchester City, Portsmouth, Chelsea and West Brom they will escape the drop.

“It is a difficult situation to be in but we are outside of the bottom three and are in the best position we have been since I took over,” he said.

“When I took over we had 13 points from 17 games and we have had a long, hard battle to get where we have got now and we are still three very valuable points off that bottom three. Making sure we don’t lose another game is key to us now. With five games left, if we don’t lose I think we will be okay. But we have to try to get a win as early as we can and if we can’t win make sure we don’t lose.

“There is only Chelsea that is difficult for us, all the other games I think we can get something out of.

“We have three very important home games, Wigan, Portsmouth and West Brom (on the final day of the season) but we don’t want to go to the last game, we want to secure our status as soon as possible.”

Blackburn struggled to create anything against Stoke as the hosts dominated throughout and made all of the chances.

Danny Higginbotham and Matthew Etherington both headed good chances wide with Liam Lawrence forcing Paul Robinson to tip over his second-half strike.

Lawrence eventually broke the deadlock 15 minutes from time when James Beattie flicked on Higginbotham’s deep cross from the left and the midfielder coolly turned inside Gael Givet before scoring.

Incredibly the win lifted Stoke up to 11th with 39 points, and although manager Tony Pulis will not yet accept they are safe it now seems inconceivable Stoke’s maiden Premier League season will not be a flash in the pan.

“There are thin lines between success and failure at this level, and we have learned a lot as a football club, I’ve learned as a manager and the players have,” said Pulis.

“We have done smashing at the right time and we have to keep that going. We have five games to go so it is important we concentrate on the games that are left and approach them in the right manner. Results are what really count.”

STOKE (4-4-2): Sorensen 7, Wilkinson 5 (Kelly 50, 6), A Faye 6, Shawcross 7, Higginbotham 6, Lawrence 8, Whelan 7, Delap 6, Etherington 6 (Sonko 87, 5), Beattie 6(Cresswell 86, 5), Fuller 6.

Subs Not Used: Simonsen, Olofinjana, Pugh, Camara.

BLACKBURN (4-4-2): Robinson 6, Ooijer 7, Samba 6, Nelsen 8, Givet 6, Diouf 6, Andrews 6, Mokoena 5 (Dunn 81, 5), Warnock 6, Pedersen 5, McCarthy 5 (Villanueva 68, 5).

Subs Not Used: Bunn, Grella, Khizanishvili, Olsson, Doran.

REFEREE: Howard Webb (South Yorkshire) 5: Should have given Stoke a penalty for Christopher Samba’s foul on Ricardo Fuller.

MATCH RATING: ** Tense, nervy stuff but the right result in the end.