NEWCASTLE United's Ewood Park visit could prove a pivotal moment for Blackburn Rovers' season as they look to secure another top half finish.

Rovers fans would be right to be happy enough with their team's current points tally and league position and a win tomorrow would surely banish any lingering relegation fears for good.

If Rovers could get to 34 points with 11 games of the Premier League season still left, reaching that so-called magic 40-point mark is unlikely to cause any real problems.

The target from there on in would be to see whether they could improve on last season's 10th place finish, rather than looking over the shoulders at the chasing pack.

Lose though and things suddenly won't look as rosy with only a five-point buffer zone between them and the bottom three.

I have 100 per cent confidence, Rovers will not get dragged into the scrap for survival but tomorrow's clash could certainly set the tone for what is to come between now and May.