Ryan Hedges has insisted Blackburn Rovers' players are under no illusions about their position in the Championship table but are confident they can finish the season comfortably away from the bottom three.

Rovers are five points above the relegation trap door after being sucked into the battle after a poor run of form. Jon Dahl Tomasson left the club after one win in 11 league outings.

John Eustace's two games in charge, and the Stoke game in-between, have seen four more points recorded. If Rovers continue that sort of trajectory, they will finish comfortably clear of danger.

Hedges has been unfortunate to have a front-row view of the decline since December and gave his view on where Rovers find themselves and the impact Eustace has had in the last week.

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"I think we know where we are, we're not where we want to be either," he said post-match at Deepdale. 

"There is more than enough quality in the changing rooms and that's what the manager says. The short-term goal is to get out of the position we find ourselves in. 

"Medium to long term we will build under him and we can start seeing his patterns and his ethos coming into the team.

"He has come in and been a breath of fresh air, real positive thinking. He's told the lads that he's very keen to work with this group and that's what we want to hear. We want to work with him too.

"We haven't had much time on the training pitch with three games in a week. The things we have worked on got us goals today. There are steps in the right direction.

"Being on the sidelines, you just want to be out there helping the team. Until December, the lads were brilliant and then results haven't gone our way, there have been defining moments in games like Watford where we could've had more points.

"This is where we find ourselves and it's up to us to finish it strong. I have been here two years and we've finished seventh and eighth.

"This is not where the club wants to be or the players want to be either. We want to be at the other end of the table. We have a very good group and maybe with the transfer window, he can tweak it as well.

"It can really kick on, there is stuff going on behind the scenes but one of the first things the manager said was that this group excites him and the club can be something."

Hedges has started the last three matches after more than four months out with a serious hamstring injury. The Welshman is keen to make up for lost time after missing so much of the season.

Eustace has deployed the 28-year-old at left-wing-back, a new role for Hedges but one he is adapting to.

"It's tough going on the body but it's what I want to do," he said. "I've been out for four months and all I have wanted to do is play games of football.

"The manager has put faith in me to start in all three and it's up to me to repay that. I need to stay fit between now and the end of the season so I can help the team.

"At one point the squad was really bare, we had five/six starting players not involved. Five of us today have spent more than two months on the treatment table. That's not what you want or need.

"Left-wing-back is probably a new one, there aren't many I haven't played since being at Blackburn. I am happy to play any position as long as I'm on the pitch.

"It's probably something I haven't been as comfortable with, it's not my natural position but I can adapt and players around me have really helped. Scotty (Wharton) today talking me through the game, Fadz (McFadzean) with his experience in the middle of the back three too."

Three points at Deepdale would've given Rovers even more breathing room and after being 2-0 ahead, there is a sense of what might have been.

A point apiece was probably a fair reflection on the 90 minutes. Hedges admitted his frustration at Rovers throwing away a promising position but wants to take positives ahead of a quick turn around against Cardiff City on Tuesday night.

"It's a point gained, one in the right direction although we are bitterly disappointed not to get the win but that's football," he reflected.

"We were on the front foot, we played balls in-behind and down the sides and got goals from it. We were more on the front foot and played some good stuff on a difficult pitch in that first half hour.

"We're disappointed, two sloppy goals and set-pieces which we have been working on in training. It's a point closer to the target we need to get to.

"Lesser teams can go under and lose that after being 2-0 up. We showed resilience and that's what the manager told us at half-time."