Late Kuqi strike gives Rovers point

Shefki Kuqi scored his first goal since Boxing Day to keep alive Blackburn's Champions League dream. However, it was just one of several controversial decisions made by referee Phil Dowd during the Barclays Premiership clash at Ewood Park.

Kuqi's seventh goal of the season, and Dowd's deliberations, overshadowed a remarkable moment of improvisation from Jason Roberts - who appeared to have won the game with an inspirational 52nd-minute strike.

The balanced result, though, ending a Rovers' run of five successive wins, leaves manager Mark Hughes' side two points adrift of Tottenham in the race for the coveted fourth place.

Wigan, who continue to boast the best away record in the Barclays Premiership outside of the top two - Chelsea and Manchester United - cannot be discounted in their bid for a European finish.

Rovers, though, started with intent to make it six straight home wins, with Steven Reid denied a goal after two minutes by a timely clearance from Graham Kavanagh as he appeared poised to nod home a dinked cross from Paul Dickov.

Filan did manage to dig out from under his own bar a dipping left-wing free-kick from deep from Morten Gamst Pedersen, who followed up later with an inswinging corner onto the roof of the net.

Then Dowd started to take the spotlight, initially lecturing Wigan centre-back Paul Scharner for going through the back of Craig Bellamy.

That talking to came 15 minutes after the Austria international had become the first name taken by Dowd for a lunge on Blackburn's Welsh international forward, leaving him to walk a tightrope for the remainder of the half until replaced at the break by Matt Jackson.

But that was only part of the story as Dowd chose to keep his cards in his pocket when Wigan skipper Arjan de Zeeuw clearly baulked the lively Bellamy on the edge of the area, despite pleas of innocence.

From the resultant free-kick, Pedersen whipped in a low shot under the jumping wall, with an unsighted Filan just managing to fumble the ball round the post.

Filan was at the heart of the next incident, dropping the ball in a challenge from Dickov as they both jumped for a high, hanging cross from David Bentley, who had replaced Brett Emerton in the starting line-up.

Pedersen prodded home the loose ball, but Dowd adjudged Dickov had impeded Wigan's Australian goalkeeper, despite barely making contact with him.

Then it was Wigan's turn to feel the frustration. De Zeeuw stabbed home his own ricochet to a challenge in the area just before the break - but a flag was up for offside against Roberts, who appeared not to be interfering with play.

In between, Reid caught Republic of Ireland team-mate Kavanagh with a flailing arm in an aerial challenge, but again Dowd was lenient. At least there was no shadow of a doubt about the opening goal, with Roberts' intuition and reactions earning their reward.

Yet moments earlier there had been frustration as Friedel produced an instinctive save to initially deny Lee McCulloch who had somehow managed to shape his right boot around Lucas Neill to fire in a half volley.

From the rebound, Roberts attempted to tee himself up for a drive, only for captain Ryan Nelsen to intervene with a perfectly-timed and weighted challenge.

However, from the resultant outswinging corner from Jimmy Bullard, an unmarked Pascal Chimbonda at the far post nodded the ball into the six-yard box. From there, and with his back to goal, Roberts beat Friedel with an inspirational back-heeled volley.

Now chasing the game, Hughes brought on Tugay and Shefki Kuqi just before the hour for Bentley and Dickov, notably with Reid moving onto the right wing.

The game ebbed and flowed until further controversy followed in the 77th minute, and again Dowd was the key man.

On this occasion Blackburn seemed to have a clear case for a penalty when Bellamy appeared to be shoulder-barged off the ball by Leighton Baines inside the area.

If that was debatable, it was in stark contrast to Blackburn's equaliser as Filan was undoubtedly bundled over by Neill in collecting a piercing right-wing ball from Reid, allowing Kuqi to stab home from 10 yards.