'January striker search key to top-six dreams'

Wednesday night was a match Blackburn Rovers had been waiting for. The game in hand on the rest of the teams in and around them in the table.

Many will have had it down as a home banker. But it felt like the game was going to need something different for the deadlock to be broken.

John Eustace has made changes to his team on the hour almost all season. In 26 league fixtures, 10 substitutes have scored. That's a pretty good return and certainly such decisions helped in this one.

The arrivals of Amario Cozier-Duberry, a youngster with a big future, and Makhtar Gueye, a target man, unpredictable, and still searching for his first league goal at Ewood Park since his summer move, were instrumental in the win over Portsmouth.

Gueye's header to open the scoring was textbook. Can he have the same impact in the starting XI? Time will tell.

Andi Weimann's goal took him to the top of the scoring charts with seven for the season, but the striker role is the area that is crying out for reinforcements.

Players continue to be linked who have Championship experience. That has to be key, that is what's missing right now from a squad who have surprised the majority of the division with their current placing.

A Championship-ready front man could do this squad a world of good with 20 big matches still to come.

Every credit to the coaching staff and the players for being top five with 26 games played. Many felt this season could be one of struggle and fighting the drop.

The window business remains critical to where they finish. It's likely the current top four will be in that final six come May, but can Rovers realistically be one of the other contenders for the two remaining spots?

They've been here before in recent years, but never made the play-offs in their soon to be 13-year absence from the top flight. It's safe to say that it's all to play for.