DAMIEN Johnson was one of several frustrated Rovers attackers after they failed to find a way through the massed ranks of a packed Middlesbrough defence.

And the young Northern Ireland star admitted that it was disappointing only to take one point from a game Rovers really needed to win.

"It was a home match so I think we would have to consider it two points dropped really," he said.

"Middlesbrough came, played for the point and just tried to shut us out.

"They didn't really attack us, it was just like going forward against 10 men which was difficult to break down.

"You have to try and create and hope something drops for you but nothing did, so we feel a little bit unlucky we didn't get the three points."

Like the rest of his Ewood team-mates, Johnson acknowledged that Rovers must fight their own way out of trouble rather than rely on other struggling sides to keep losing. A few results went for us but we are trying not to look at it that way. We have to get ourselves out of it," he stressed.

"We only drew at home and still went up a place so that's okay. But we don't want to rely on other results."

The pressures of the relegation scrap are certain to increase as the clock runs down and Rovers now have to go to Arsenal tomorrow night. That promises even more tension, although Rovers will be rank outsiders at Highbury.

"Against Wimbledon we got early goals which settled us down," added Johnson.

"We didn't do that against Middlesbrough and the lads started to get a bit frustrated. You start to feel the pressure a bit more.

"But we are not really expected to win at Arsenal, so you never know."

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