BOTH teams may have got the point they needed beforehand to make their survival mathematically secure but there was only side celebrating at the end of another trying afternoon at a dispirited Ewood Park.

While the Robins raced to join in the festivities with their supporters, Rovers slumped off the field with more jeers ringing in their ears after a fourth home game without a victory ensured the club remains on course for its worst league performance in a quarter of a century.

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Back then the disappointment at marginally avoiding the drop into the old Third Division was tempered by the excitement and optimism that had been generated by the arrival of the man who would ultimately take Rovers on a rollercoaster ride to the very top of English football.

But fast forward 25 years, and with Venky’s and not Jack Walker at the helm, those feelings have been replaced by ones of uncertainty and fear that the 1995 Premiership champions are drifting downwards.

That is unlikely to change unless Rovers' owners take action and put a structure in place and start to communicate with a fan base becoming increasingly disenchanted.

In the current way of doing things most managers would find life difficult, as would any team that has lost players of the calibre of Tom Cairney, Rudy Gestede, Markus Olsson and Jordan Rhodes in such a short space of time.

But while the biggest problems are off the field there can be no excusing the run on it which has left Rovers facing the prospect of their lowest league finish since the 1990-91 campaign.

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Paul Lambert’s side have now won just one of their last nine matches, taking six measly points from a possible 27, meaning they cannot even match the total achieved in the club’s chaotic first year back in the Championship.

Unlike in 2012-13, Rovers have never looked like going down this season, but they have MK Dons, Charlton Athletic and Bolton Wanderers to thank for that as, since making it four straight home league wins for the first time in six years, their form has been dreadful.

And it would be even worse had Danny Graham not netted his second goal of the game to ensure Saturday’s clash with fellow strugglers City ended even.

It is hard to imagine this is the same team that took four points off and outplayed Middlesbrough, swept aside Birmingham City, gave Burnley and Derby County a run for their money, and overcame the odds to beat Brentford with 10 men.

Inconsistent? You bet, and the most maddening thing at the moment is you don’t even know which side is going to turn up in each individual match, let alone game by game.

Rovers hardly got out of their own half in the first 15 minutes here but they went on to control the rest of the first half and play some pleasing football after Graham turned in a Jordi Gomez cross in expert fashion to open the scoring against the run of play.

Befitting a team that is averaging less than a goal a game, Rovers were unable to double their advantage, with Gomez and Ben Marshall wasting good chances, and while they boast a decent defensive record, they always have a mistake in them.

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Jason Steele got away with one in the first half when he inexplicably threw the ball straight at Bobby Reid, whose subsequent shot came back off the post, but they were duly punished by Jonathan Kodjia and Aaron Wilbraham after the Robins made the most of haphazard defending.

By that stage Rovers had completely lost their way but to their credit they did summon up the spirit to equalise through a deft Graham header from a Jason Lowe cross which ensured they did not suffer a fourth straight home league loss for the first time in 13 years.

And after City midfielder Korey Smith was stupidly sent off for pushing Grant Hanley in the face they could and should have won it through Elliott Ward before Marshall went close with virtually the last kick of the encounter.

But given their desperately disappointing second-half showing, a point was all Rovers deserved and, for the second home match running, they felt the frustration of their fans.

They could not be surprised as for all the unresolved issues away from the pitch, most particularly the future of their manager, this was not up to standard required, even if it did put to bed any lingering relegation fears.

That, however, is nothing to celebrate.