"I have to say that Blackburn deserved the victory," he said. "The third goal was offside but I think that the linesmen are going to find it very difficult this season. The lineman didn't see it, it was very difficult to see along the line with all the bodies in there but that cost us.

"That's not the only reason, I would have been disappointed if we had only got a draw, but no doubt with the side we had out and the way we performed throughout the game I might have been happy with a draw.

"We got back in it, we got a goal at half-time which helped us. We were bright in the dressing room, we got our noses in front in the second half, but it wasn't to be."