George Burley is still confident Ipswich Town can stay in the Premiership - if they reproduce last night's second-half display at Ewood Park.

The Blues boss said: "It was a classic game of two halves, and I thought we deserved a point for our performance after the break.

"We can take encouragement from that. We showed battling qualities and our hunger and desire to get back in the game was evident.

"Having said that, football matches last 90 minutes and not 45. We started very sluggishly and never got among them.

"When we did have the ball we gave it away easily and put ourselves under pressure. The goals we conceded were also very poor, especially the first.

"Damien Duff took it past four players before scoring. That kind of thing shouldn't happen but it did.

"After that it was always going to be an uphill battle. Blackburn are a decent side who can cause problems for anyone."

Town gave themselves hope in the second half through a Marcus Stewart goal and Burley added: "It was nice to see him back on the scoresheet.

"He looked sharp and only a great save from the keeper denied him scoring from a volley just before the goal."

Burley was left fuming after one second-half flashpoint, when Hakan Unsal appeared to commit a professional foul on Marcus Bent.

He said: "Marcus was clear through on goal when he was pulled back, yet the defender was only given a yellow card. That seemed a very strange decision."

Blackburn boss Graeme Souness said: "We always knew Ipswich would come back at us but overall I thought we deserved the points."

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Published Thursday, March 14, 2002