BENNI McCarthy came off the bench to rescue a point for Rovers at Ewood Park this Saturday evening.

It looked like Rovers would end the game without anything to show for their efforts until the South African's 94th minute header grabbed a welcome point against a stubborn 'Boro side.

The first half was a lively affair, Aliadiere and Santa Cruz both saw efforts strike the woodwork, whilst Tuncay saw an overhead kick chalked off for an incorrect offside call, whilst Rovers had two decent shouts for penalties turned away.

But whilst the second period didn't deliver the same attacking play, it did deliver goals, Alfonso Alves lashing home against the run of play on 74 minutes to put the visitors in front.

And it looked like Gareth Southgate's side would hold on for a much-needed victory until Rovers were awarded an extra-time corner kick. Paul Robinson added to the chaos in the 'Boro box as Brett Emerton sent over the ball but it was Benni McCarthy who rose first to head home. His first goal since February.

But whilst the late point was more than welcome, the manager will see it as two dropped as Rovers missed out on the chance to rise further in the table.

Paul Ince had made four changes from the goalless draw against Bolton Wanderers seven days earlier. In the run-up to the game the Rovers boss had spoken of the need to get back amongst the goals and that meant a double change up front with Matt Derbyshire and the returning Roque Santa Cruz getting the call with Robbie Fowler and Jason Roberts making way.

There was a home debut for Vince Grella whilst Martin Olsson came in at left back, Chris Samba didn't make the 18 through injury, whilst Tugay dropped to the bench.

The game started slowly, both sides taking their time to get into the game, but it was the visitors who had the first meaningful attack at goal. As Rovers cleared one attack Chris Riggott sent a header back in the penalty area, the Rovers stood still as an offside Tuncay allowed the ball to pass through to where Jeremie Aliadiere struck the ball past Paul Robinson only for the ball to crash off the crossbar and away to safety. A let-off for the home side.

That woke Rovers up and they went close to opening the scoring themselves, a move made in Australia saw Vince Grella pick out Brett Emerton with a ball over the top, the winger shot near post but Ross Turnbull turned the ball aside.

On the quarter-hour Rovers went even closer, just the width of a post from taking the lead. Carlos Villanueva, buzzing around the edge of the area, fed Warnock who in turn found Roque Santa Cruz in space in the area, he fired past Turnbull but saw the ball strike the inside of the post and David Wheater put the ball behind.

From the resulting corner kick Santa Cruz was in the thick of the action again, heading Villanueva's corner just over.

But it was Rovers who were breathing a sigh of relief on 24 minutes, again it was a ball over the Rovers back four, this time from Didier Digard, Tuncay hit a superb overhead kick into the back of the net but was rightly annoyed to see the raised flag of the linesman on the far side.

From that moment until the end of the first half Rovers had the better of play, Grella breaking up play and passing the ball forward, Emerton, Warnock and Villanueva willing runners to create openings, the ball zipping quickly off the wet Ewood turf.

The home side also had a couple of half shouts for penalties, the first when a Derbyshire header struck Wheater in the area, then another from a Derbyshire cross that appeared to strike the hand of Andrew Taylor. Neither decision went Rovers' way.

As the half came to a close Roque Santa Cruz continued to be a threat to the 'Boro defence, Turnbull had to push away his header from a Villanueva corner aside, whilst in the final minute of the half a through ball from Warnock set the Paraguayan free but he couldn't slide the ball under the advancing 'Boro 'keeper.

Rovers began the second half in sprightly fashion going straight on the attack, Villanueva cutting in from the right to shoot left-footed but despite the oohs from the crowd, his effort was well wide.

Paul Ince was given a scare on 50 minutes when from a corner kick, Roque Santa Cruz went down injured. as Emerton rose to connect with the ball he caught back of the striker's head. There was initial concern as the Paraguayan laid prone on the floor, the stretcher bearers were even deployed, but the home fans were delighted to see Santa Cruz get to his feet and eventually re-join play.

That delay knocked the wind out of Rovers' sails somewhat, aside from a half chance for Ryan Nelsen from a Brett Emerton free-kick, the game had settled into a midfield battle.

In a bid to regain the advantage Ince threw on Benni McCarthy with Matt Derbyshire making way, the South African immediately in the action, heading a Villanueva cross wide of goal.

On 74 minutes McCarthy was involved in another Rovers chance, Brett Emerton skipped past a couple of challenges before exchanging passes with McCarthy, the Australian threaded the ball through to Roque Santa Cruz, but with a chance to take the ball towards goal it got caught under his feet and Middlesbrough scrambled the ball away.

Rovers were to regret that missed chance for seconds later they found themselves behind, a quick ball was launched forward where Alfonso Alves took the ball down well on the edge of the area before lashing it past Paul Robinson.

It was a goal that came totally out of the blue, Robinson had been a spectator for the entire second period up until that point.

Keith Treacy came on in the last ten minutes to add a bit of menace down the left wing, but try as they might Rovers just couldn't open up a resilient Middlesbrough defence.

But just as it looked like there was to be no way back for Rovers and they would end the game without the points their play deserved they on a corner in the dying seconds.

The crowd urged goalkeeper Paul Robinson forward and he obliged, Brett Emerton arrowed the ball towards the man in green but who popped up to head the ball before him? None other than Benni McCarthy who powered the ball home for his first goal since February.

Had Rovers not gained anything from the game it would have been an injustice, Middlesbrough had offered little as an attacking force in the second half, but for all Rovers' efforts they didn't threaten Ross Turnbull's goal on too many occasions, that was, until the 94th minute.

ROVERS: Robinson, Simpson, Ooijer, Nelsen (c), Olsson (sub Treacy 81 mins), Emerton, Grella, Warnock, Derbyshire (sub McCarthy 66 mins), Villanueva, Santa Cruz.

Subs: Brown (GK), Tugay, Khizanishvili, Andrews, Roberts.

MIDDLESBROUGH: Turnbull, Taylor, O'Neil, Riggott, Pogatetz, Digard, Aliadiere, Alves, Tuncay (sub Emnes 85 mins), Downing, Wheater.

Subs: Jones (GK), Shawky, A. Johnson, J. Johnson, Grounds.

Booked: Derbyshire, Olsson, Grella (Rovers), Wheater (Middlesbrough).

Attendance: 17,606

ROVERS missed out on a place in Europe after crashing 4-1 at Birmingham City.

It was a day of disappointment for both sides as results elsewhere meant relegation for the midland's club, but was a game to forget for Mark Hughes' side.

An uncharacteristic howler from Brad Friedel gifted David Murphy a 32nd minute lead, the Rovers 'keeper somehow let Murphy's 25-yard strike slip between his legs and into the back of the net.

Rovers hit back straight after the restart when Morten Gamst Pedersen drove home after neat work from Roberts and Santa Cruz.

But that was as good as it got for Rovers as poor defending allowed Cameron Jerome to score twice and a late Muamba header only confounded Rovers' misery on a day that all went wrong.

Before the game it was no surprise that for the fifth game running Mark Hughes named an unchanged starting eleven. The fit again duo of David Dunn and Benni McCarthy having to settle for places on the substitute's bench.

Birmingham had to make a late change from the published team sheet, James McFadden picking up an injury in the warm-up, but his replacement Mauro Zarate almost made an immediate impression. The Argentinean collected the ball on the left of midfield, exchanged passes with Olivier Kapo on the edge of the area before lashing an effort at goal. Thankfully for the travelling Rovers fans the ball flashed past Brad Friedel's far post.

On seven minutes Rovers fashioned a chance but it was helped in no small part by a poorly placed pass from Muamba, Pedersen nipped in to thread the ball to Roque Santa Cruz but from an increasingly tight angle he was unable to beat Maik Taylor.

As you would expect, there was a raw atmosphere to proceedings, the home fans making a racket in a bid to urge their team on, but that didn't replicate itself on the pitch as there was little to excite.

Stephen Warnock curled an effort over the bar after neat build-up play from Pedersen and Vogel, whilst at the other end Kapo glanced a Sebastian Larsson centre harmlessly wide.

But just past the half hour point the mood in the ground changed as Birmingham took the lead. Full back David Murphy was allowed far too much space on the left to run at the Rovers defence, and as they backed further and further away, the former Hibernian defender took the opportunity for a shot at goal, Brad Friedel had the 25-yard effort covered all the way but somehow the ball slipped out of his grasp, through his legs and into the back of the net to send the home fans delirious.

Three minutes later the American stopper went some way to redeeming himself when he made a smart save to deny Kapo at the near post.

Rovers had very few in the way of clear-cut chances in a disappointing first-half display, David Bentley fed Brett Emerton down the right, Maik Taylor, rushing off his line, was rounded, but Stephen Kelly cleared the ball off the line.

Whatever was said at the half-time team talk by Mark Hughes had an immediate effect as Rovers levelled just three minutes after the restart. Former Rover Damien Johnson was caught on the ball by Johann Vogel, he slipped it in to Roberts, Taylor saved his effort but Roberts found Santa Cruz with the lose ball who in turn unselfishly fed Morten Gamst Pedersen and he made no mistake from the corner of the six yard box.

Olivier Kapo fired narrowly wide from the left, whilst Roque Santa Cruz failed to add to his 23-goal tally when he headed over Pedersen's centre.

But suddenly goals at other grounds meant that there was little to play for, Reading had built on their lead against Derby, whilst Aston Villa had taken the lead at Upton Park. That prompted chants of "sack the board" from sections of the St. Andrews crowd.

A stunning run from Brett Emerton deserved more but Jason Roberts slipped as he looked to attack the Australian's cut-back.

Mark Hughes made a double substitution in bringing on David Dunn and Tugay, but it was Alex McLeish's switch that made the difference - eventually.

Just sixty seconds after his introduction Cameron Jerome was all of three yards out when he collected David Murphy's pass, but somehow the former Cardiff City striker blazed horribly over the crossbar.

But he wasn't down for long, when just a minute later Larsson collected a throw from the far side and sent a ball into the centre for Jerome, criminally unmarked, to sweep the ball past Friedel and into the back of the net.

Elsewhere a Danny Murphy goal ensured that it would be Fulham who would remain in the Premier League next season, that prompted more angry reactions from the home fans.

The home side then had Maik Taylor to thank for three saves in the space of seven minutes, first he denied David Bentley at the near post after a fine run from the England man, then from a corner kick, Samba saw his header palmed away, before Taylor denied Emerton on the follow-up.

But from that Rovers attack it was Birmingham who went on to score, the ball was quickly played down the left flank and McSheffrey fed a ball through to Jerome, he looked offside, nothing was given, but his touch was excellent before driving the ball home.

It got worse for Rovers as word filtered through that West Ham had levelled against Aston Villa, meaning that had Rovers won then a place in Europe was to be theirs.

With Rovers beaten the final goal of the game really didn't make much difference, Mehdi Nafti's clever ball saw Fabrice Muamba run unchallenged to head past Friedel.

The home fans registered just enough energy to celebrate the goal, but it was far too late to rescue their season. For Rovers, it is a case of missed opportunities and a summer regretting what might have been.

BIRMINGHAM: Taylor, Murphy, Kelly, Jaidi, Ridgewell, Muamba, Larsson, Johnson (c) (sub Nafti 63 mins), Kapo (sub McSheffrey 87 mins), Forssell (sub Jerome 69 mins), Zarate.

Subs not used: Doyle, Parnaby.

ROVERS: Friedel, Reid, Samba, Nelsen (c), Warnock (sub McCarthy 81 mins), Bentley, Emerton, Vogel (sub Dunn 67 mins), Pedersen (sub Tugay 67 mins), Santa Cruz, Roberts.

Subs not used: Brown (GK), Khizanishvili.

Booked: Johnson, Larsson, Ridgewell (Birmingham), Santa Cruz (Rovers).