Robins 'delighted' with hard fought win

Stoke have won three of Mark Robins' 12 league games in charge

Stoke City manager Mark Robins acknowledges there is room for improvement in his side but was delighted to pick up a vital win on Wednesday.

The 1-0 victory over Blackburn Rovers moved Stoke four points clear of the relegation zone and ended a run of four games without a win.

But it was vital with four of the other sides in the bottom seven all winning in this midweek round of fixtures.

"It was really hard fought," Robins told BBC Radio Stoke.

"They were a tough nut to crack. The support was fantastic, cheering every tackle, every foray forward, and they stayed with us until the end.

"We started brightly, we scored a brilliant goal, and it was sharp. We played in spells, really well, but at some point we make a mistake and shoot ourselves in the foot.

"Inevitably, the other side puts you under pressure, but we had Viktor behind us who kept us in it and made a couple of brilliant saves.

"I'm really pleased. The endeavour was there, commitment was there, the desire was there. We were focused on what we were trying to do.

"There is room for improvement, and that's a good thing. We are in a good position in terms of the physicality and mental side of it, and we have some really good players here. I'm delighted with those three points."