WHILST far from impressed with Rovers' first half showing, boss Mark Hughes was thankful for a much improved second half display that eventually saw them overcome Derby County.

For 44 minutes, the final game of the season at Ewood Park looked to be going against all predictions after Kenny Miller's shock opener, but Roque Santa Cruz pounced to level just before the break to send the teams in level.

Thankfully for the home fans Rovers rose from their first half slumber to put Derby to the sword, Roberts scoring immediately after the restart.

Roberts himself could have had a hatful, but it was Santa Cruz who stooped to head home 13 minutes from time.

"In fairness to Derby I thought they worked exceptionally hard in the first half and restricted the areas that we wanted to play in and got themselves into a winning position" said Hughes on Radio Rovers after the game.

"We handed them the goal with a bit of a lapse, so we had to regroup, we are one of the best teams in this division at coming behind, so the goal just before half-time helped us in that respect.

"Thankfully in the second half the players listened a little bit better and we were better as a consequence. There was a lot more drive, a lot more purpose to our play and in the end we won the game quite comfortably.

"We started to open them up towards the end of the game which I suspected would happen, I think Jason Roberts had a number of opportunities but the 'keeper stood up well to him, so we created some good chances and on another day we probably would have gone away from Derby a little bit sooner than we did.

"But all in all the second half I was very pleased with."