Liam Lawrence struck late on to earn Stoke City a vital 1-0 win at home to fellow Premier League strugglers Blackburn Rovers.

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The midfielder scored with a firm shot that beat Rovers keeper Paul Robinson at his near post 15 minutes from time to secure a victory which leaves Tony Pulis's men just a single point away from the all-important 40-point mark in the table.

The result was harsh on Sam Allardyce's side, who dealt well with Stoke's bombardment of set-pieces throughout, but ultimately the result leaves them teetering on the edge of the relegation zone with just five matches left to play in the league.

Stoke were the livelier of the two sides in the opening exchanges, with James Beattie and Matthew Etherington both going close to scoring an early goal. First Beattie unwittingly deflected a Glenn Whelan drive from the edge of the box marginally over the crossbar, then a minute later Etherington just failed to get a telling touch on a dangerous cross across the six-yard box from Ricardo Fuller.

While Rovers settled in defence after those scares, they struggled to create much in attack as Benni McCarthy was left isolated on his own up front. Still, they almost took the lead after 16 minutes when Abdoulaye Faye headed a hopeful ball forward from Blackburn skipper Ryan Nelsen towards his own net. Only an alert catch from keeper Thomas Sorensen prevented the defender from scoring an embarrassing own-goal.

The only other chance of note in the first half came from a corner 25 minutes in, when Stoke's Danny Higginbotham headed wide from a Lawrence delivery. A better connection would almost certainly have given the hosts the lead.

After a cagey opening to the second half the game burst into life when Lawrence was denied by an excellent save by Robinson on 54 minutes. The midfielder arrowed a half-volley towards the top corner of the goal from the edge of the Rovers box on the right, but the former England keeper tipped the ball over the bar expertly.

Two minutes on, Lawrence was in the thick of the action again as his deep cross from the right was headed inches wide by Etherington.

And it was that man again who made the match's crucial contribution on 75 minutes when he latched on to a James Beattie flick-on in the area to turn past Gael Givet and fire past Robinson to send the Britannia Stadium faithful wild and, in all likelihood, guide Stoke towards another season of Premier League football.