If Blackburn do dodge relegation, then no one will have done more to help their great escape than Damien Duff.

The Republic of Ireland winger was the match-winner against Aston Villa and Ipswich last month, and he repeated his feat as Southampton were well-beaten at Ewood Park.

Duff has been linked with a move to Arsenal if Blackburn go down, but on the field at least he shows no signs of any yearning for north London.

Quite simply, Duff was once again the difference for Blackburn and one can empathise with Graeme Souness' unhappiness at the winger being made to play a full match in the Republic of Ireland's friendly in Denmark last week.

His goal, the opener, was of the sort that is quickly becoming his trademark - bursting off his left flank and placing a shot with his right foot into the far corner.

Soon afterwards, wing play of a more traditional sort created a first Blackburn goal for the Spanish striker Yordi, and from then on Rovers never let the game slip from their grasp.

It was a vital victory, after results in the afternoon matches had conspired to see Blackburn sink into the relegation zone.

Ipswich's point against Chelsea and, as importantly, Sunderland's victory against rock-bottom Leicester were not what Blackburn wanted.

Rovers' desire was evident from kick-off, and a feint and turn by Keith Gillespie fooled Fabrice Fernandes - not for the first time in the game - and Paul Jones was forced to dive to field the Northern Ireland winger's low cross.

Henning Berg put a shot high as Rovers maintained their attacking momentum, while Craig Short's brilliant tackle stopped Paul Telfer registering another effort for Southampton.

Jones came to Saints' rescue when he punched Gillespie's cross off Yordi's head, then Wayne Bridge was the saviour, clearing off the line after Matt Jansen's neat turn and low shot.

Kevin Davies, who flopped so badly at Blackburn four years ago, delighted the home crowd when he burst clear for a one-on-one with Brad Friedel but embarrassingly lost control of the ball, allowing it to run tamely into the keeper's hands.

The Saints striker, booed heartily with every touch, had further cause to rue that miss when a piece of Duff brilliance put Blackburn ahead in the 26th minute. The winger cut in from the left, Telfer unable to match his pace, and from the edge of the box he clipped a low shot with tremendous accuracy past Jones.

Two minutes later and Duff had helped make it 2-0. Jansen did supremely well to turn away from three Southampton players, kept his feet despite some barging by Claus Lundekvam and set up Duff, who crossed for Spanish forward Yordi to climb high above Paul Williams and head powerfully past Jones.

Blackburn were on the attack again as soon as the second half kicked off, and Gillespie played a peach of a through-ball inside the Saints defence for Lucas Neill. The full-back should have cut the ball back to the unmarked Jansen but chose instead to fire it into the six-yard box and Jones was able to block out the danger.

Gordon Strachan had had enough and made two changes, with Marian Pahars replacing the sorry figure of Davies and Jo Tessem coming on for Fernandes.

Almost immediately Brett Ormerod passed up a glorious chance to put Southampton back into contention after Tessem floated in a long pass from the left, the former Blackburn trainee slicing a shot wide from in front of goal.

Pahars scared the wits out of Friedel with a deceptive low strike which rattled six inches past the post and into the advertising hoardings, and Jones was next to have a fright, as Flitcroft's drive swerved so much the keeper found himself going the wrong way and could only poke out a boot to divert the ball to safety.

It mattered not for Blackburn though, Duff's earlier heroics had done enough.

Teams:

Blackburn: Friedel, Neill, Short, Berg, Bjornebye, Gillespie (Hignett 80), Dunn (Flitcroft 53), Tugay, Duff, Yordi (Hughes 71), Jansen.

Subs Not Used: Unsal, Miller.

Goals: Duff 27, Yordi 29.

Southampton: Jones, Dodd, Williams, Lundekvam, Bridge, Telfer, Oakley, Delap, Fernandes (Tessem 58), Ormerod, Davies (Pahars 58).

Subs Not Used: Svensson, Monk, Moss.

Booked: Dodd.

Att: 28,851

Ref: C Wilkes (Gloucester).