Andy Cole grabbed a point for Blackburn but it failed to mask the defensive frailties that threaten to suck Rovers into the relegation dogfight.

Cole pounced to rescue Rovers in the 52nd minute after a dismal start which ultimately cost his side their first Premiership home win since November.

Graeme Souness had spoken this week of how his team's attacking prowess had been constantly disfigured by blunders at the back.

And less than six minutes after the first whistle he watched as appalling marking allowed James Beattie to reach Jason Dodd's cross into the box and set up Kevin Phillips to fire home for the visitors.

Saints are no superstars on their travels but often looked likely to build on their advantage as the home defensive continued to teeter on the brink of collapse.

But Cole found his form in a reformed second-half forward line to at least spare Rovers fans the blushes of another dismal home defeat.

Shellshocked Rovers had taken 12 minutes to create anything with Paul Gallagher's deep cross from the left just evading Brett Emerton at the far post.

Rovers looked jittery at the back and toothless up front where they missed their 20-year-old striker Jonathan Stead due to a hamstring strain.

Emerton was given another equalising chance in the 16th minute when Tugay's fine through-ball sent him clear but Graeme Le Saux denied the Australian with a superb saving challenge.

And Rovers came close again two minutes later when Dodd failed to deal with a cross leaving Jonathon Douglas to force a save out of Antti Niemi on the left.

But Saints still somehow looked the more likely to extend their lead with their fleet-footed front men causing no end of panic in the Rovers half.

Rory Delap took advantage of more slack marking to get his head to Fabrice Fernandes' cross, forcing Friedel to tip it over the bar.

Beattie and Phillips combined again to come close to extending Saints lead in the 34th minute.

Beattie's neat lay-off enabled the former Sunderland man to drive a low shot which beat Friedel but flashed inches wide of the goalkeeper's left-hand post.

Delap sprung Rovers' leaky offside trap in the 37th minute but seemed so surprised that he delayed his shot and the danger passed.

And Phillips coasted through the middle of Rovers' defence again in the 40th minute but just stretched himself too far for a shooting chance.

But the tide turned on two half-time substitutions with Souness boosting his strikeforce with both Dwight Yorke and Matt Jansen.

Rovers began to get forward in style and Martin Andresen almost capped his home debut with a crashing 47th-minute strike which skimmed the roof of Niemi's net.

It was Saints' turn for defensive blunders in the 52nd minute as Rovers grabbed their deserved equaliser.

Failure to clear their lines resulted in the ball ricocheting off a number of Saints legs into the path of Cole who swept the equaliser home from 12 yards.

Cole was only denied a second three minutes later by a super low save from Niemi as Rovers began to dominate.

Full-back Michael Gray produced a low cross which split the Saints defence but reached Niemi a fraction of a second before Cole.

But Rovers' defensive frailties still threatened to undo all their good work at the other end of the field.

With the home side chasing a winner Saints found the space to counter-attack and Rory Delap increasingly gained in prominence.

His low drive in the 74th minute was well turned out for a corner by Friedel.

Cole was unfortunate four minutes later when he sprang the Saints offside trap but his low shot was well parried by Niemi with the ball then dropping conveniently into the keeper's arms.

Teams

Blackburn Friedel, Neill, Babbel, Short, Gray, Emerton, Andresen, Tugay, Douglas (Jansen 45), Cole, Gallagher (Yorke 45).

Subs Not Used: Gresko, Todd, Enckelman.

Booked: Babbel.

Goals: Cole 52.

Southampton Niemi, Dodd, Lundekvam, Michael Svensson, Le Saux, Telfer, Prutton, Delap, Fernandes (McCann 62), Beattie, Phillips (Pahars 88).

Subs Not Used: Higginbotham, Ormerod, Smith.

Booked: Dodd.

Goals: Phillips 5.

Att: 21,970

Ref: M Dean (Wirral).