Rivals' survival was 'always going to come down to Sheffield Wednesday' with tough pair scheduled

The Rovers manager has overseen an up-and-down time at the club since taking over from Jon-Dahl Tomasson in February, registering only two wins but steering them to eight draws in his 14 matches in charge. Both of those wins have arrived in their last four matches - one of which was a chastening 5-0 defeat at Bristol City - as they peeled away from the relegation conversation with a hugely impressive 1-0 win at Leeds United last weekend.

They sit in 17th place, five points clear of Wednesday and the bottom three. With only three rounds of matches remaining in the Championship, the visit of Sheffield Wednesday on Sunday precedes tough outings against Coventry City and away at Leicester City on the final day.

And despite the euphoria of Elland Road, which saw Rovers players and staff engage in huge celebrations post-match, Eustace had always looked at the Owls clash as one that would define their survival campaign.

"It was always going to come down to the Sheffield Wednesday game,” said Eustace. "If we had won on Wednesday (at Bristol City), if we had won (at Leeds), it was always going to come down to that one. It is a huge game for us next week and that is what we are preparing for. We will be ready for it.

"With four games to go, we knew we needed to pick points up. Not many people thought we would win (at Leeds) but we believe in ourselves and what we are doing.

"To come and get a victory was outstanding. For the group, it gave us even more confidence - not that we needed it. For the fans, what a fantastic day to travel across from Blackburn. The support they showed us for 95 minutes was outstanding. I am very proud of the football club."