Liverpool lost more ground on their rivals for the EPL’s fourth spot after this dismal draw at Ewood Park.

The first 45 minutes of this encounter was truly wretched. And while things livened up after the break, Liverpool played like the also-rans they are in danger of becoming.

Rovers boss Sam Allardyce was in charge of his side for the first time since recent heart surgery. But the first half was dull enough to be prescribed as part of his rest and recuperation.

Liverpool would have grabbed all three points if David Ngog had got a clean strike on a glorious late opportunity. But they didn’t deserve such reward and when manager Rafa Benitez claimed after the game that Liverpool had “played better” you got the sense of a man trying to kid himself.

There were no serious threats to either goal in the first half. None.

However, Rovers should have taken the lead in the early stages of the second half when Franco Di Santo broke Liverpool’s offside trap but hesitated in front of goal, allowing Jamie Carragher to make a fine recovery challenge.

Di Santo forced a save from Liverpool keeper Pepe Reina after a slip by Lucas had set up the attack.

But Ngog should have converted his 70^th minute opportunity after Glen Johnson’s fine run down the right and good low cross.

However, the ball bobbled onto his shin and his scuffed effort rebounded back off the bar, with Rovers’ bulky centre-back Christopher Samba blocking Dirk Kuyt’s shot from the rebound.

Substitute Nikola Kalinic had a late chance to win it for Rovers when he sped clear in stoppage time.

But Reina’s rush to the edge of the penalty area put him off and he could only tentatively poke his right-foot shot wide of the Spanish keeper’s left-hand post.