BLACKBURN Rovers moved within three points of the play-offs last night after they ended their four-match winless run by beating 10-man and managerless Birmingham City 1-0 at Ewood Park.

A goal, six minutes after half-time, from the in-form Ben Marshall, was enough to earn Rovers a welcome win which means they will head to Nottingham Forest on Saturday 11th in the Championship standings.

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But Bowyer admitted his side, who were lacklustre in the first half but much improved after the break, should have won more comfortably. 

And they were nearly made to pay for their failure to add to Marshall’s fifth goal of the season when Blues substitute Andrew Shinnie hit the bar in injury-time.

Rovers boss Bowyer said: “We weren’t at it in the first half and there were some choice words at half-time.

“But I thought they responded magnificently in the second half.”

Birmingham, who sacked manager Lee Clark on Monday, played the final half-hour with 10 men after Neal Eardley was shown two yellow cards in the space of nine minutes.