ROVERS goal-hero Ashley Ward dashed from Ewood to be at his mum's hospital bedside on Saturday night after showing great courage to put family problems behind him and play a major part in the vital win over Wimbledon.

The striker had been offered the chance to pull out of the game by Rovers boss Brian Kidd after his mother had been taken seriously ill during the week.

But Ward insisted he had wanted to carry on as normal as possible. "The manager's been different class throughout," said the striker.

"He knows the severity of the situation and he's an understanding person and I appreciate that.

"We did have some good news, she's doing a lot better. She has had quite a severe brain haemorrhage and things were less than rosy to say the least. But she's pulled through and started to come round a bit now and we are just grateful to the surgeon and the staff at Hope Hospital who are doing fantastically for her." Ward admitted it had been a tough decision to play but he explained: "I wanted to try to please my dad as well. It was important to look after him and he was insisting - go out there and score.

"Fortunately, it's worked out like that. It was great, in more ways than one, to see it go in.

"These things are sent to try us and, hopefully, we get through them."

Kidd paid his own tribute to Ward, saying that it was typical of the man that he had gone out and given everything even in such circumstances.

"I told him that he wasn't playing, that it was a bigger picture than football," said the manager.

"But he insisted. What a great human being he is.

"He could have taken the option not to play and should have in my opinion."

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