THE dark clouds of concern have yet to reach storm proportions but they are still scudding uncomfortably thick and fast across the Ewood horizon, unrelieved by the first home point of the season.

If a team can't win home games, big problems are looming. When it happens at this level, it spells double trouble.

An optimist sees a glass half full, the pessimist a glass half empty.

After seven games without a win, Rovers fans must be sorely tempted to turn to drink and just down it.

You could see the worry for his old club's future etched on Kevin Moran's face as he walked away from Ewood at the end of an afternoon when Everton thoughts were centred on the late dismissal of Duncan Ferguson but Rovers had far more serious matters to chew on.

How they could do with a couple like Moran in the team at the moment - one or two "leaders" to bring some authority and composure to a bunch of players who have the ability and the will but can't seem to come up with the right combination to crack open the safe that holds that so-elusive three-point haul. "There's no doubt that there are enough good players here to pull the club out of trouble and I think they will. But the longer it goes on the worse it gets," said the former Ewood stalwart.

"And you don't get out of it just because you have good players or you are a big club. You do have to work at it and everyone has to pull together."

There was some encouragement in a first-half display when Rovers should have been a couple of goals to the good.

But their wasteful finishing then spread to the rest of their play and they were nothing like as effective in the second half.

What is of most concern is that Rovers haven't yet played a team at home that looks good enough to finish in the top six.

So what would the optimist say?

That Rovers had a good first half and created enough chances to have put the game beyond Everton's reach, even though Ferguson forced a fine save from Tim Flowers while the scoresheet was still blank.

He might add that a superb first Rovers goal for George Donis could be the first of many and that it was good to see Jason Wilcox back.

On the other hand, the pessimist would point to few signs of Rovers discovering the finishing power they still lack. He would also say that Everton had too many clear-cut chances for comfort against a defence which handled the aerial threat of Ferguson and Paul Rideout reasonably well but were uncomfortable at times in other aspects.

And he has also started wondering just where that first Premiership win is coming from.

Although Rovers employed the same personnel as in midweek, they made an interesting change, switching the full backs so that Henning Berg was up against Andrei Kanchelskis.

"It's something I have spoken to Henning about over the last three or four weeks," said manager Ray Harford. "Jeff (Kenna) is a good type and has worked hard. They are both really right backs but I was aware that Kanchelskis took Jeff apart in the last 20 minutes of last season's game and I thought Henning did a good job on him."

That though sums up one of Rovers' problems, people playing out of position on that left-hand side.

The performance of Donis was the real bright spot for Rovers, but they should be making more of his creative contribution. They began confidently for a side in their position and - by the previous week's standards - could have had a penalty for handling by Joe Parkinson in the opening minutes. But referee David Elleray, who quickly lost the plot, would have none of it.

Lars Bohinen should have done much better with a clear shot from Tim Sherwood's free kick as Rovers dominated but then Everton failed to beware the Greek bearing gifts for home fans.

There seemed no danger as he picked up the ball a long way from goal but then sprinted at the heart of the Everton defence leaving defender after defender in his wake. Suddenly he was in on goal and stabbed the ball past Neville Southall before celebrating in style.

It took Everton only six minutes to level, with Andy Hinchcliffe's fiercely-struck free kick flicking off the head of David Unsworth and looping into the far corner. Intended or not, it counted.

Kevin Gallacher should have restored Rovers' lead but knocked the best chance of the game over the bar after more great work by Donis.

The second half was scrappier and saw Everton much more threatening.

Donis brought a great save from Southall, but Flowers was occupied too as both Kanchelskis and Anders Limpar had good chances. In the dying minutes the drama increased, first when Ferguson was booked for dissent over what looked a realistic penalty claim and then saw the red card a minute later for continuing his verbal assault.

With stoppage time being played a good move brought a fierce shot from Wilcox but Southall was equal to it and the winless run continues.

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