Blackburn boss Appleton sacked after derby day draw

Rovers scraped a 1-1 draw with a 95th-minute equaliser from David Dunn, which was allowed to stand despite Dunn being in an off-side position.

However, it was an eighth game without a win for Rovers, whose last victory came in the FA Cup a month ago at Arsenal.

Here are Appleton’s comments after Sunday’s game...

David Dunn’s injury time strike earned Rovers a point they scarcely deserved, and put them 18th, four points above the relegation zone with nine games remaining.

Burnley are three points better off, in 11th place, having played a game more, and Appleton hopes to draw them into a dogfight: “I hope it’s damaging to Burnley and I hope it feels like it’s the worst result they have ever had.

“I thought for the effort in the second half, when Burnley lost their discipline and we kept ours, we stayed patient and luckily we kept Dunny on the pitch and he did the job for us.

“Hopefully that’ll be a catalyst for the next few games now.

“I’m delighted for David Dunn and everyone else in the dressing room but both sides didn’t create much over the 90 minutes.”

It was the fourth East Lancashire derby in which Dunn has scored, and after another injury-hit campaign Appleton admits he might have withdrawn him earlier: “In any other game with Dunn having played three games in a week we’d have been looking to get some fresh legs on.

“But because it was Burnley I kept him on the field, I just knew from an adrenalin point of view that he would keep going until the end.

“I’m delighted for Dunny, he’s had a bad time of it with injuries. Dunny is similar to myself, when knocked you tend to come out fighting and he did that.”

• The Burnley Express has launched a FREE football app which is now available to download on iPhone and Android devices.