It was a bizarre sort of day for rampant and generous Rovers yesterday. With Manchester United losing, a win would have halved the gap between the leaders and the second placed team to an encouraging three points.

Instead, Rovers had to dredge a draw out of the match they should have won handsomely despite twice surrendering the lead to a Palace side who have clocked up two more points on their travels than Blackburn.

Just to add to the heartache, a freak bounce saw Tim Flowers concede the kind of goal that would have made a novice blush to help Palace into the lead for the second time.

Chris Sutton's 12th league goal in the 77th minute eased some of the pain, but despite bombarding the Palace defence for most of the second half, the vital extra goal, worth two more points towards the minimum of 60 set by their manager Roy Hodgson, was frustratingly elusive.

"I'm disappointed and angry by the manner in which we lost two points," Hodgson said. "The bounce was a freak and I told the groundsman what I thought about the pitch, but that's the end of it."

A split second of indecision by Flowers, back after missing the goalless draw at Sheffield Wednesday on St Stephen's Day with a groin injury, and some indecisive defending saw Paul Warhurst, a former Rovers player, head the ball over the line before Neil Emblen followed up and made sure.

Hodgson is clearly becoming increasingly prickly by being asked about Manchester United, the team Rovers headed in 1994-95 to interrupt United's domination of the Premier League.

"I couldn't care less about them," he said. "We played some marvellous football and could have won by our biggest margin of the season. We had enough chances to have scored 20 per cent more than the seven we scored against Sheffield Wednesday and the six against Preston.

"I have never coached a team that did more attacking in my career."

Even so, only two goals from 34 recorded attempts is hardly topdog stuff. Anyway, the first goal by Palace in the 10th minute had an appealing quality.

Emblen forced his way past two defenders before sending Jamie Smith on a right wing sortie. Bruce Dyer was unmarked when he beat Flowers with a header.

Rovers' equaliser, on 26 minutes, also had a touch of class.

It came from Kevin Gallacher who drifted into a space provided by the quality of Chris Sutton's pass before teasing Kevin Miller with a perfect lob to collect his 10th league goal.

Steve Coppell had every right to be even more smug about the fourth away draw to add to the five wins though he, too, had the right to feel disappointed at not getting three points and, perhaps, he too was puzzled by Hodgson's outburst.

That was presumably fuelled by a Christmas that has yielded only two points at a time when Blackburn appeared to be the current threat to United.

Coppell, formerly of Manchester United himself, was in a more generous mood. "Rovers are the `surprise' team of the season," he said. "I don't think anyone expected them to be this strong under Roy Hodgson and be playing in such an English style as they are.

"I thought it was going to be our day. Our first goal showed that we can compete and play football."

Andy Roberts and Andy Linighan were often the main strength of a defence that managed to survive the second half battering which forced Kevin Miller into relatively few saves.

Even Sutton and Gallacher missed or miscued decent chances. Less surprisingly Stuart Ripley, Garry Flitcroft and Damien Duff several times failed to even hit the strongly defended target.

Roberts had rescued Palace with a goal line clearance after Sutton had drawn Miller from goal at the end of an first half. That should have been academic in different circumstances.

It was a valuable point gained by Palace, considering they missed the influence of their Italian imports Attillo Lombardo and Michele Padovano, scorer of the only goal in the last Palace success, seven games back at White Hart Lane.

Blackburn: Flowers, Kenna, Sherwood, Hendry (Pedersen 46), Ripley, Gallacher, Sutton, Flitcroft, Croft (Wilcox 67), Henchoz, Duff. Subs Not Used: Bohinen, Beattie, Fettis. Goals: Gallacher 27, Sutton 78.

Crystal Palace: Miller, Gordon, Roberts, Linighan, Warhurst, Dyer (McKenzie 58), Rodger, Smith, Hreidarsson, Emblen, Ginty. Subs Not Used: Quinn, Pitcher, Burton, Nash. Booked: Linighan. Goals: Dyer 12, Warhurst 48. Att: 23,872.

Referee: P Jones (Loughborough).