WHILE Rovers enjoy a break due to international duty this weekend, Ray Harford can look back at Sunday's sterling performance at Manchester United with immense pleasure.

For after drawing blanks in defeats against Spurs and Aston Villa, Rovers' front men finally got it right - and so nearly upset the odds.

Paul Warhurst and Kevin Gallacher looked to have nudged out Graham Fenton and Ian Pearce as the first choice strike force - with Warhurst showing a hitman's instincts to give Rovers their first goal of the season.

So instead of the much published doom and gloom at Ewood Park following the departure of Alan Shearer and Kenny Dalglish - Rovers can now go into next Wednesday's clash against Leeds with renewed optimism.

Naturally the hunt for a big money signing to replace Shearer will go on but there are promising signs that our current crop can go some way to plugging the gap.

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