Blackburn Rovers 1 - 0 Crystal Palace

Blackburn 1-0 C Palace: Rovers safe

Updated: April 20, 2005, 10:16 PM UK

Blackburn silenced their critics with a victory which should confirm their Premiership status for next season, while Crystal Palace are still staring at the Championship abyss.

• Savage plays down incident

Manager Mark Hughes' Rovers are now 11 points clear of the relegation zone where only goal difference separates Palace from propping up the table following Norwich's stunning late win at home to Newcastle.

It was a dominant display from a Rovers side heavily criticised for their 'bully boy' performance against Arsenal in their FA Cup semi-final defeat on Saturday, but with only Morten Gamst Pedersen's 45th-minute winner to show for their superiority.

There was perhaps the expectation this would not be the most sophisticated of matches, particularly from Blackburn's perspective after what unfolded at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium.

Hughes' side were roundly condemned for their rough-house tactics against the Gunners, much to the anger of the Welshman who found such vitriol difficult to stomach.

'Mud sticks' was Hughes' comment yesterday, fearing his side would be tagged as a team that would look to win at any cost.

If Blackburn were to win over their detractors then they needed a footballing display, and for the most part that was achieved, but for the lucky Robbie Savage.

After being booked for a scything challenge on Mikele Leigertwood in the 29th minute, the midfielder perhaps should have been given a second yellow less than 10 minutes later when he brought down Wayne Routledge five yards outside the area.

Savage's tackle was naive at best, and although it was directly in front of referee Philip Walton, he showed leniency and instead only awarded a free-kick which Andy Johnson drove into the wall from 22 yards.

Unsurprisingly, the prospective villain turned hero right on the stroke of half-time by providing a delightful free-kick from just inside the Palace half and deep into the area.

Gratefully on the receiving end was Pedersen, sliding the ball home from close range and off the underside of the crossbar for his eighth goal of the season and with what was virtually the last kick of the half.

Prior to that Blackburn controlled the proceedings, firmly putting behind them the disappointment of that cup defeat and creating the chances they had failed to muster in Cardiff.

Jonathan Stead, starting with Paul Dickov sidelined by a knee injury sustained on Saturday, felt so confident he had headed home Pedersen's perfect left-wing cross in the fifth minute that he began to wheel away in celebration.

However, Gabor Kiraly produced an oustanding save, with the goalkeeper at full stretch in diving to his left as he turned the ball round the post.

After Stead had sliced horribly wide another Pedersen cross, this time from the left wing as a swift break ended in disappointment, Rovers should have taken the lead midway through the half.

Ryan Nelsen was left unmarked inside the area from a deep Savage free-kick on the left, but after trapping the ball on his chest, the New Zealand centre-back crashed his angled right-foot shot from 10 yards against the outside of a post.

Within a minute, Rovers were on the attack again, this time Brett Emerton cutting inside two challenges from Gary Borrowdale, starting his first game for over two months, and Gonzalo Sorondo on the left-hand edge of the area - only to drill his shot into the arms of Kiraly.

Then came the niggly moments, with Savage's booking followed by one for Sorondo for his foul on Pedersen, before Rovers' #3million transfer-window buy from Birmingham almost got himself into hot water.

His last act of the half was his free-kick for goalscorer Pedersen as he was replaced at the break, either due to a recurrence of his ongoing niggly groin injury or to prevent him receiving the first red card of his club career.

Blackburn did not miss his presence as they had the opportunities to have comfortably wrapped up the points, starting with an Emerton run which ended in a clutch save from Kiraly low to his right.

The underworked Brad Friedel followed that by saving low to deny Andrew Johnson, a shot which proved to be Palace's only effort on target, before two head-in-hands chances for the home side.

Dominic Matteo first steered into the sidenetting a low ball into the near post from the outstanding Pedersen, while Steven Reid headed wide from six yards an Emerton left-wing cross with the goal at his mercy.

Then Stead stabbed wide from seven yards as he raced onto Matteo's looping ball, while he also fired directly at Kiraly late on as Palace left gaps at the back in a vain search for the equaliser.

Savage plays down incident

Unsurprisingly, the prospective villain turned hero right on the stroke of half-time by providing a delightful free-kick from just inside the Palace half and deep into the area.

Gratefully on the receiving end was Pedersen, sliding the ball home from close range and off the underside of the crossbar for his eighth goal of the season and with what was virtually the last kick of the half.

Prior to that Blackburn controlled the proceedings, firmly putting behind them the disappointment of that cup defeat and creating the chances they had failed to muster in Cardiff.

Jonathan Stead, starting with Paul Dickov sidelined by a knee injury sustained on Saturday, felt so confident he had headed home Pedersen's perfect left-wing cross in the fifth minute that he began to wheel away in celebration.

However, Gabor Kiraly produced an oustanding save, with the goalkeeper at full stretch in diving to his left as he turned the ball round the post.

After Stead had sliced horribly wide another Pedersen cross, this time from the left wing as a swift break ended in disappointment, Rovers should have taken the lead midway through the half.

Ryan Nelsen was left unmarked inside the area from a deep Savage free-kick on the left, but after trapping the ball on his chest, the New Zealand centre-back crashed his angled right-foot shot from 10 yards against the outside of a post.

Within a minute, Rovers were on the attack again, this time Brett Emerton cutting inside two challenges from Gary Borrowdale, starting his first game for over two months, and Gonzalo Sorondo on the left-hand edge of the area - only to drill his shot into the arms of Kiraly.

Then came the niggly moments, with Savage's booking followed by one for Sorondo for his foul on Pedersen, before Rovers' £3million transfer-window buy from Birmingham almost got himself into hot water.

His last act of the half was his free-kick for goalscorer Pedersen as he was replaced at the break, either due to a recurrence of his ongoing niggly groin injury or to prevent him receiving the first red card of his club career.

Blackburn did not miss his presence as they had the opportunities to have comfortably wrapped up the points, starting with an Emerton run which ended in a clutch save from Kiraly low to his right.

The underworked Brad Friedel followed that by saving low to deny Andrew Johnson, a shot which proved to be Palace's only effort on target, before two head-in-hands chances for the home side.

Dominic Matteo first steered into the sidenetting a low ball into the near post from the outstanding Pedersen, while Steven Reid headed wide from six yards an Emerton left-wing cross with the goal at his mercy.

Then Stead stabbed wide from seven yards as he raced onto Matteo's looping ball, while he also fired directly at Kiraly late on as Palace left gaps at the back in a vain search for the equaliser.

Tunnel incident played down

Blackburn midfielder Robbie Savage has tonight denied being involved in a tunnel bust-up with Crystal Palace's Wayne Routledge.

Savage had twice been drawn into incidents with Routledge during the first half of his side's crucial 1-0 Premiership victory over the Eagles at Ewood Park.

Seconds after the half-time whistle, as the players trudged off down the tunnel, it is believed Savage gave Routledge a nudge in the back.

Palace boss Iain Dowie refused to confirm the players involved, but did say: 'All I know is that one of our young lads was clipped with a glancing blow on his way off down the tunnel.

'I am not in the business of telling tales out of school, but we will keep it under our hat until the next time we meet. That's the best way. But I am not worried about it. This is not a big issue. That's the way things go sometimes.'

When asked whether Savage should have been red-carded before the incident, Dowie replied: 'Too much is talked about him. I am not going to add to the debate.'

Savage, though, has claimed he is innocent as he said: 'I didn't see anything. I was the first in the dressing room.'

Rovers boss Mark Hughes has also insisted that he 'didn't see anything' as 'he was in the dressing room'.

Hughes refused to let the matter overshadow what he feels is the highlight of his career in keeping Rovers in the top flight, despite winning a number of trophies throughout his playing days.

The Welshman said: 'We feel safe. I would have been quite happy with one point, but to take all three I think really underlines things.

'Everybody's delighted. We have had a difficult time this season, and when you consider that, on November 20, we were rock-bottom of this league, then we have done superbly to confirm our status in the Premier League with a month to spare.

'I had a reasonable amount of success as a player, but this surpasses everything I achieved back then. It has been a group effort. I know the amount of energy, commitment and desire everybody has put in to get the job done.'

Going against the grain, Hughes chose to single out the performance of skipper Andy Todd, who tomorrow faces a Football Association disciplinary commission hearing.

Todd has denied a charge of violent conduct following an apparent elbow in the face of Arsenal striker Robin Van Persie during Saturday's 3-0 FA Cup semi-final defeat.

But centre-back Todd tonight picked up the man-of-the-match award, and Hughes added: 'I thought he was immense. He has this FA charge hanging over him, which we are disappointed about, but he knew he had to put in a professional performance both for himself and the team, and he has done that.

'He has walked away with the man-of-the-match performance, and I think that shows what kind of guy he is and the season he has had.

'I think maybe people have been too quick to criticise Andy as a player and a person as they did at the weekend. It takes a lot of mental strength to come through what he did.'