BLACKBURN Rovers boss Brian Kidd made a rare complaint about the referee after his side's controversial exit from the Worthington Cup at the hands of Premiership leaders Leeds United.

Kidd felt that his team should have had a free kick in the build-up to Leeds' winning goal.

His players, to a man, were unanimous that Ashley Ward had been fouled before the Premiership side broke away to win a free kick that produced the winner.

They also complained bitterly that, having tried to take it quickly and missed, Leeds should not have been handed a second chance.

Kidd, as usual, refused to condemn referee Jeff Winter and said: "We are not bellyaching. You get some decisions, you don't get others."

But the scale of his discontent could be measured when he commented about what happened immediately before Craig Short fouled Darren Huckerby for the crucial free kick winner.

"I thought it was a foul on Ashley (Ward) anyway on the halfway line," he said.

"And then they were given two chances at it.

"They took the free kick early so that should have been good enough." Rovers' players, from keeper John Filan through to striker Matt Jansen, all claimed afterwards that Ward had been fouled before the match-winning Leeds move developed.

They also felt the referee should have awarded a goal kick after Leeds tried to take their free kick as the wall was being moved back and shot wide.

Skipper Jeff Kenna put the players' feelings into words when he admitted the team were gutted by the manner of defeat.

"It was a free kick but we should have had one before that when Wardy got banged from behind," he said.

"Unfortunately, that's the way it goes sometimes.

"Then he (Mills) didn't hit it very well, it's gone under the wall and squirmed under John. It's just one of those things. What can you do?

"We were having the better chances at the time.

"It's a bitter pill to swallow but I think the performance shows how far we have come, going to Leeds and getting what should have been a 0-0.

"I'm sure there are many Premiership teams who would be more than happy to do that.

"So we'll take heart from it and, hopefully, we can now get that form into the League and get us shooting up the table." Kidd was pleased by the general performance and rightly so after fielding something of an inexperienced side.

Christian Dailly, Callum Davidson and Jason Wilcox were all rested, handing Martin Taylor, Wayne Gill and Leam Richardson places in the starting line-up.

"Credit to them, I thought their determination, commitment and concentration was very good," said the manager.

"Young Leam Richardson made his debut and I was pleased with him.

"I felt the team did well as a unit.

"There were a lot of good individual performances but, collectively, they did really well.

"And that is how you get anywhere, by working together as a team."

Leeds' Republic of Ireland international Gary Kelly shared a similar opinion and he is backing Rovers for promotion.

"I think they will come straight back," Kelly said.

"I hope so anyway. They are a big club and they have a lot of good players there so hopefully they will come back."

Jeff Kenna put a brave face on the Euro 2000 play-offs draw which pits the Republic of Ireland against Turkey who have already put out Northern Ireland.

"It's a tough draw, a very tough draw," said the Ewood stalwart. "I would have liked to have been away first but we just have to get on with it now. I am sure Lawrie McMenemy will fill us in on all the necessary and we'll give it a good go."

The Republic, who could field as many as five Rovers players, were so close to automatic qualification but Kenna remains philosophical.

"We got so close and to have won that group would have been such a feather in our cap with the quality that was involved," he said.

"But 18 months ago you would have settled for a play-off place.

"So, although we were that close to qualifying we have to take heart from it. But it's cold comfort really."

Rovers' trip to Birmingham on Saturday, November 13, seems certain to be postponed because of the Euro 2000 play-off matches being played that day.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.