ROY Hodgson has called for one final push from Blackburn Rovers who, amazingly, still have their European destiny in their own hands.

For the manager admitted his team's form since January should really have seen their hopes blown apart by now.

And he warned his players that their rivals for Europe could not possibly keep on losing games in the manner in which they have done recently.

Hodgson's message is plain - start picking up points again immediately or face missing out on the prizes.

Rovers have two tough away games at Chelsea and Coventry this week - but really need to win one of them to maintain a realistic hope of qualifying for the UEFA Cup through the front door.

Saturday's bore-draw against Wimbledon at Ewood partially stopped the rot but Rovers have not won for five matches and have to put that right this week.

"The good thing is that, on 52 points with three games left, we are still in with a chance," said a defiant Hodgson.

"Our recent disastrous run of results should really have pushed us out of contention a long time ago. But it hasn't done, we are still there in sixth place.

"All we can do is show the same sort of fighting spirit and determination as we have done and hope things go our way.

"I think over the long term of the season, if we do reach UEFA, we will be able to say we deserved it.

"If we don't do it, then what could have been a fantastic season will have turned out to be a mediocre one.

"Whether we make it will depend on how many points we take from the last nine. "We cannot hope that all the teams around us are going to lose two and three games in a row so that the 52 points we have at the moment is enough.

"We have got to get more points and we will try to do so."

Hodgson admitted there was some relief that Rovers had ended a run of four successive defeats but confessed the disapppointment of not winning was the over-riding feeling.

"Our objective and the only one which would have given us any true satisfaction was a victory," he said.

"We didn't get that so we haven't got the champagne corks popping. We got maybe what we deserved, or they got the point they deserved.

"With the other results, it doesn't do us any harm but at the same time it doesn't do us much good either."

Rovers actually moved up a place into sixth, a position which would guarantee UEFA Cup football next season.

West Ham lost at home and, yesterday, Derby's stunning 4-0 home defeat by Leicester kept them below Rovers.

Despite a depleted team, they could have done themselves a big favour against Wimbledon but Hodgson added: "We can be happy in the knowledge that we gave it our best shot.

"But, unfortunately, to win it we would have needed a little touch of genius, a stroke of luck or Wimbledon not playing to their full strength.

"They played well and no-one was able to find the stroke of genius to win us the game. "But I thought we were very close to scoring the decisive goal, certainly in the first half and even in the second.

"One was ruled out for offside and there were several other occasions where the offside flag certainly didn't work in our favour.

"The linesman obviously has the benefit of the same sort of computer that Andy Gray has on Sky, because we were talking about hairline decisions."

At least Rovers will have Colin Hendry, Billy McKinlay and Garry Flitcroft available again after suspension for Wednesday's trip to Chelsea.

The B team stayed on course for the Lancashire League Second Division title by beating Crewe A 3-0. Martin Taylor, David Dunn and Steve Foster got the goals.

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