TONY Parkes made a plea for Ewood harmony as he prepared his team to make a bid for a third successive victory against Norwich City tomorrow night.

The Blackburn Rovers boss looked visibly upset by the reaction of supporters during Saturday's scrambled 2-1 win over struggling West Bromwich Albion.

And he was particularly concerned about the storm of booing that greeted the double substitution which actually turned things around and went on to clinch victory for out-of-sorts Rovers.

"We certainly need help from everybody. We are here just to try and win games for Blackburn Rovers and everybody plays a part in that," he said.

"The crowd are very subdued at the moment and, when you go a goal down, that makes it doubly hard.

"If it's 0-0 it's not too bad but, when you are one down, it's very subdued.

"The team actually has to lift the crowd. It's got to that stage now.

"Obviously the pressure's on everybody, certainly at Ewood. The fans feel it and they get frustrated, the players play under pressure because of that and together it makes for a pressure situation.

"It is difficult when the pressure is on at Ewood. The fans are edgy and nervous and it gets through to the players.

"We have to stick together and realise it is going to take a bit of time. Everybody's got to be a little patient.

"But we also have to get on with it and hope that we can produce better performances.

"We have to try to give them something to shout about. That's for sure."

At one stage of Saturday's abysmal affair, the Blackburn End started chanting "Bring on the youth team" - so dissatisfied were they with the poverty-stricken performance being served up.

And Parkes could not resist a hint of sarcasm as he referred to his match-winning double substitution, which was jeered at the time.

"I probably made the wrong substitutions, which you do as a novice manager. You don't always get it right," he said.

On a more serious and heartfelt note he added: "I hoped they would work, that's why I did it. You win some you lose some.

"You just hope they (the fans) are a bit more sensible than that. We were losing 1-0 and it needed a change.

"We were not going to win that game with those 11 players on the pitch.

"Sometimes I probably do take the wrong one off, or I don't put a substitute on quickly enough.

"But that's how it is. I do make mistakes, just like footballers do and I hold my hand up about that. But I just thought it's time for a change and let's do it.

"Fortunately this week it probably worked a little bit better for us."

Parkes fervently believes team and supporters must be united in a common cause if Rovers are to achieve their play-offs target.

"We didn't play particularly well. We had three good chances in the first half but we didn't play well that's for sure," he said.

"The players have got to have a lot of credit for battling back from that. They did look dead and buried at one time.

"Sometimes you play well and you don't get your reward. Today we didn't play particularly well and got our reward. It's swings and roundabouts.

"There are still a lot of points to play for and we'll see what happens at the end."

Parkes admitted that Damien Duff, one of the players substituted, was probably still recovering from the virus which counted him out of the last game and the midweek international.

As well as being tightly marked, the Irish winger didn't seem to have his usual spark.

Meanwhile, the caution collected by Nathan Blake - one of six Rovers players booked in a real flurry of yellow cards - means the striker will serve a one-match suspension for reaching five bookings.

He is expected to miss the game at home to Crewe in a fortnight's time.

Rovers have dismissed reports that they are about to make a fresh move for Bradford striker Robbie Blake.

"We know all about Robbie Blake but there is nothing new to report," said Parkes.

Bradford boss Paul Jewell said: "We have had no approach for the striker. There is only one way people would leave this club and that's if the price is right."

Rovers under 19s have won the North West Academy title following their 2-2 draw away at Sunderland. Gary Hamilton and Marc Richards were on target.

The under 17s drew 0-0 at home to Sunderland. pwhite@lancashire.newsquest.co.uk

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