OWEN Coyle felt Blackburn Rovers were denied “as clear a penalty as you will see” in their 3-2 defeat at Preston North End.

Rovers slipped to a 3-2 defeat, despite twice coming from behind to level through Danny Graham’s sixth and seventh goals of the season.

In the end, the game was decided with Callum Robinson’s strike 10 minutes from time to give Preston the derby spoils.

Kevin Friend awarded both sides first-half penalties, but it was one waved away that Coyle discussed post-match. The decision came five minutes after the re-start when Corry Evans appeared to be pulled back as he ran in on goal, only for Friend to remain unmoved.

Coyle felt the decision was a big point in the game, as he believed it should have seen Ben Pearson sent off.

“It was a huge call,” Coyle said.

“He was clean through on goal, one on one, the lad has tugged him back and it would have resulted in a red card as the lad made no attempt to play the ball.

“That would have been a penalty and a clear red card and were in the ascendancy with 11 v 11, never mind 11 v 10.

“That was a big moment in the game, but that being said, we still scored a terrific team goal, and two each we looked well set to go on and win the game.

“I don’t think there was any doubt about it, everyone saw it.

“I’m always loathed to get involved in these things because people think you’re coming from a position of bias, which I probably am, but I’ve been in the game since I was 13 years of age and for that’s as clear as penalty as you will see.

“He was a yard or two in front of the lad and everyone saw he pulled him back with his arm.

“It was a clear penalty, not given, and we paid a big price for that.”

Rovers did however, go on to level in a second half in which they dominated through an excellent Danny Graham goal.

But Robinson struck shortly afterwards to restore Preston’s lead, much to the disappointment of Coyle who felt having got back to 2-2, Rovers should have left with nothing less than a point.

He added: “My disappointment was I think there was a lack of concentration that when we got it back to 2-2,  we thought we would go on and win the game.

“That was when we really needed to be tuned in and concentrated and the worst we should have been leaving here with was a 2-2.

“If we continue to play like that, and brush up on a few areas, because you can’t come away from home and concede three goals, then that will result in us picking up the points and moving up the table as we have been.”