Kean: One more win for safety

Blackburn boss Steve Kean watched his side earn their first win since January - and then claimed one more would secure Premier League survival.

Martin Olsson's first-half strike gave Rovers a 1-0 success over Bolton at Ewood Park on Saturday, lifting them three points clear of the drop zone.

Blackburn, who moved onto 38 points with the victory, face fellow strugglers West Ham and Wolves among their last three games, and Kean feels a win from one of those will be enough.

"We've got to play West Ham and we've got to play Wolves in the last game so everybody can't get three points," he said.

"So I imagine if you've got 40 points and a good goal difference, which we have, that's going to see you safe."

Olsson's low finish was just reward for a display in which he had David Wheater all at sea, and sealed a win which could and should have been more comfortable.

The Bolton fans taunted the hosts with chants of 'You should've kept big Sam' in reference to Kean's predecessor Sam Allardyce, but this was perhaps the Blackburn boss' most important win since taking charge.

And after two straight defeats without scoring, Kean admitted his side's need for a victory was evident.

"I thought we performed with a lot of attitude and spirit and togetherness," he added.

"Today there wasn't a want for the points, there was a need which is a very different emotion. You could feel it in the dressing room.

"The lads had a focus and I thought they gave an outstanding and professional performance. They gave me every single thing I asked for before the game and more."

Kean reserved special praise for Olsson, who looked dangerous down the left throughout, scoring when he cut inside Wheater and toe-poked a shot into the bottom corner from just outside the area.

"Martin Olsson I thought was the match-winner today," Kean added. "He matched up against Wheater and we felt if we could give the ball to Martin he could use his pace and his penetration.

"We were getting so much joy down the left. We were just trying to get it wide to Martin who was certainly on it today."

Kean confirmed veteran full-back Michel Salgado, who came off in the second half, had twisted his knee and would be assessed on Sunday.

"It looked quite nasty but he's a tough little character," he said.

Bolton boss Owen Coyle made four changes following their 3-0 midweek defeat at Fulham, most notably Hungarian Adam Bogdan coming in for Jussi Jaaskelainen in goal, the veteran Finn dropping to the bench.

And he said injuries are starting to catch up with his side.

"I'm frustrated," he said. "I felt the application the lads put in was terrific given again we were decimated by injury and really had a makeshift team.

"We started the game well and probably could and should have scored (when Rodrigo Moreno hit a post) and then we've shot ourselves in the foot with the goal we've lost.

"I think a lot of them acquitted themselves very well in terms of the effort, both physically and mentally, they had to give given how big the last couple of weeks have been for them and coming off a tough midweek game as well.

"We have the smallest squad in the division and that was shown earlier in the season. And today we had nobody else, we were down to 18 given injuries."