SAM Allardyce has hailed Blackburn Rovers’ vocal travelling support on Wednesday night and blamed the Villa Park pitch invasion for stopping the squad from offering their thanks.

Rovers’ away support of around 2000 may have been outnumbered by an expectant 38,000 Aston Villa fans but, as the visitors threatened a shock, it was the blue and white minority who could be heard.

Allardyce said: “Our fans were absolutely brilliant. They were doing a lot of singing from the start and carried on all the way through whether we were in front or trailing.

“The players were keen to get across their appreciation at the final whistle but unfortunately the pitch invasion put paid to that.

So I would just like to say ‘thank-you’ to everyone who went along.

“We gave the fans a bit of excitement and they never stopped singing and supporting us.”

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