FRIGHTENING was the word used by Colin Hendry today to describe the sickening collision which left him motionless on the Selhurst Park pitch for some eight minutes on Saturday, writes PETER WHITE.

Happily, Hendry has made a full recovery from the incident to ease the concerns of Blackburn Rovers fans who feared the worst when the Scot was stretchered off wearing a neck brace.

And I can reveal that the first question Hendry asked on coming round in hospital was - "Did we win?"

There was genuine concern about the player's health when he crashed to the ground as Tim Flowers punched clear from a Crystal Palace attack.

But he was eventually able to travel home on the team coach and was feeling much better 24 hours later with no apparent complications, despite being unconscious for two or three minutes.

"I'm a bit stiff around my neck and the back of my head but I'm all right," he said.

"It's the first time since I was a kid that I've been knocked out cold like that.

"Whoever I was marking we went down together and I've seen on TV that it was Tim's knee that caught me.

"I was pie-eyed, I can't remember anything about the incident itself.

"The first thing I remember is coming round in a little room at the ground and hearing a Scottish-speaking woman. The next was in the ambulance and going over the humps near the hsopital.

"I just wanted to go to sleep but, obviously, they wouldn't let me. "It's frightening really when you think what can happen. But it's also re-assuring to know that if there had been a serious injury they would have been prepared for it.

"As soon as I saw one of the specialists, I asked if we had won and he said 'I'm glad to tell you it finished 2-1'. That's all I wanted to know."

Hendry will rely on the medical experts to decide whether or not he plays for Scotland this weekend - if, of course, that game now goes ahead. In any case, he should be fine for rovers' next match.

Manager Roy Hodgson is likely to use the next couple of weeks - Rovers don't play again until Sunday week when they are at home to Leeds - to step up his search for a new goalkeeper.

One name in the frame could well be Southampton's Maik Taylor.

For Rovers were interested in the 25-year-old keeper before he moved from Barnet to Southampton.

Taylor, despite being a favourite among Saints supporters and doing well for the club last season, has lost his first team place at the Dell. New manager David Jones went back to his old club Stockport to sign Paul Jones, who has replaced him in the first team.

Meanwhile, sources close to Saturday's opponents Crystal Palace suggest that the London club are maintaining an interest in Ewood central defender Ian Pearce.

We revealed some weeks ago that Palace had been eyeing Pearce but they then moved for Wolves' Neil Emblen, who can play either midfield or defence.

Palace, however, are said to be ready to make a renewed bid for the Ewood star.

Rovers' highly-rated young striker James Thomas joined West Bromwich Albion on a month's loan at the weekend to give him valuable League experience.

West Brom, managed by former Rovers boss Ray Harford, have run into a striker crisis and Rovers were willing to let 18-year-old Thomas join them on a temporary basis. He was a star of last season's run to the semi-finals of the FA Youth Cup and has also played for the Welsh under-21 side on several occasions.

Saturday's scheduled A team game was postponed at Preston's request.

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