DEFIANT Brian Kidd believes Blackburn Rovers will still survive in the Premiership, despite only drawing a game that ended in raging controversy at Charlton on Saturday.

The Rovers boss refused to have a go at referee Gary Willard despite a disgraceful decision by the official, when he denied Ashley Ward a penalty nine minutes from time.

And Ward himself seemed to bear the brunt of an attack by Carl Tiler after the final whistle, with the referee confirming he was reporting the Charlton player for striking an opponent.

The rumpus detracted from the game, which Rovers should have won.

But Kidd said: "I still don't think we will go down. I believe we will get a couple of little breaks and that is all it takes.

"We have nine points to go for and I said to the players in the dressing room that I think we can do it.

"I don't want to be depending on what other people do and that's the mentality I want in my players.

"In trying circumstances, we have always tried to do that and will continue to do it.

"These players have been under pressure from the first day of the season. But the situation still looks rosier now than it did in December.

"If it had carried on that way, it would be one from two (going down) now, not two out of three." Kidd is standing up to the pressure but now needs his players to do the same.

"I don't look back on the past few months and think they have been disastrous for me personally and I am not feeling sorry for myself.

"People say I have made four or five buys but, if we hadn't, there have been times when we wouldn't have been able to field a team.

"We haven't been able to turn the draws into wins but, in defence of the players, I know what they have been up against in extreme circumstances.

"We had a great chance for Keith Gillespie after a few minutes and it was the kind of game where you want one to go in early.

"I think it would have helped our lads, as well as taking a bit of tension out of the game."

Kidd faced inevitable questions about what might happen if Rovers go down but he simply said: "Some people said I made a mistake leaving United but I have no regrets. What matters now is Blackburn, not me.

"And whatever decisions need to be taken will be made by Mr Walker at the end of the season."

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