Matt Kilgallon: Age no excuse for Blackburn Rovers next season

Rovers rounded off the 2014-15 campaign with an entertaining 3-2 home win over play-off bound Ipswich Town on Saturday.

It meant they finished ninth in the final Championship standings and 11 points behind the sixth-placed Tractor Boys.

It is the second season running the largely youthful squad Rovers boss Gary Bowyer has built has missed out on the play-offs.

But with another years’ experience under their belts Kilgallon, one of Bowyer’s elder statesmen, believes they must deliver a top-six finish next time around.

“We’ve got great ability in this squad, good players and players who want to play higher,” said the 31-year-old centre-back, who has captained Rovers in the absence of the injured Grant Hanley.

“It’s another year for the young lads now, they know what the Championship is all about, so next year we can’t use it as an excuse how young some of them are.

“They’ve all played now and we have to be better next season.”

Rovers have thrown away 27 points from winning positions this season with 15 of those points coming against teams who finished below them in the table.

And, after a seven-game unbeaten league run to end the campaign, Kilgallon said: “We’ve had another good end to the season, now we just need to do it from the start of next season, give it a right good go, and when we get in the top six, stay there.

“We’ve got belief we can do that. We’ve just played Ipswich, who are in the play-offs, and we’ve battered them at times.

“It’s not the first time we’ve played well against one of the top teams, even if we haven’t always got the results, but what we’ve got to do is starting beating the teams who are not as good us.

“And when we do get into a lead be ruthless, crack on, and beat them by more, rather than getting a bit nervous and staying off them.”

Bowyer admitted after the victory over Ipswich that he plans to add more experience to his ranks.

But he looks certain to be able to count on Kilgallon again next season.

The former Leeds United, Sheffield United and Sunderland defender’s contract runs out in the summer.

But it is understood Kilgallon is close to signing a new deal with the club.

And when asked about his future he reiterated his desire to remain a Rover.

“I want to say, I’m enjoying it here, so hopefully we can sort something,” said Kilgallon, who sat it out on Saturday avoid aggravating the minor thigh injury that meant he missed the last two matches of the campaign.

“We’re talking, we’ve got a great team and the manager is doing a good job.”

Bowyer added: “I’ve said all along we wanted to bring in young, hungry players who can become valuable assets to this club – and that is exactly what we’ve done.

“They’ve gained two years’ experience now and now they’ve got to kick on and show that mentality that has been missing in certain games.”

Markus Olsson was named as Rovers’ player of the year on Saturday and Tom Cairney picked up the Peter White Memorial Trophy – named after the late Lancashire Telegraph sports reporter – for his winning goal of the season away to Norwich City.