THE DECISION

THERE’S only one place to start – the decision which probably cost Rovers a point, perhaps even three.

With the Ewood Park faithful turning up the volume who knows what would have happened had the officials allowed Marvin Emnes’ 79th-minute ‘equaliser’ to stand.

For the first time in the second half the momentum would have been with Owen Coyle’s side.

But they were stopped in their tracks by an errant linesman’s flag.

Coyle was told by the fourth official that the flag went up because Danny Graham was in an offside position.

But video replays seem to show that Graham was in fact onside and definitely not interfering with play.

Rovers boss Coyle had every reason to feel incensed.

THE PERFORMANCE

BUT when his anger subsides Coyle will also have to reflect on what was a below-par performance compared to the ones his team produced in the wins over Rotherham United and Derby County.

You have to give credit to the opposition. The Owls are a good side, a significant step up on most who have visited these parts this season.

They nullified Rovers’ biggest threats, proved extremely difficult to break down, and always looked the likelier to score again, particularly from distance, where too often they were given the time and space to pull the trigger.

But they were helped by their strangely subdued opponents who, certainly in the second half, were devoid of energy and invention.

THE SUBSTITUTIONS

COYLE recognised that fact by replacing the ineffectual Sam Gallagher and Danny Guthrie with Danny Graham and Darragh Lenihan.

Graham offered more of a physical threat than Gallagher, although he got one clear shooting opportunity all wrong, and Lenihan did bring the drive that Guthrie could not provide alongside the quietly impressive Corry Evans. So no complaints about those changes.

But while the decision to bring off captain Jason Lowe and push Ben Marshall back to right-back was not a bad one, why not give Martin Samuelsen a go ahead of Liam Feeney.

Feeney has yet to impress since his return to Rovers – and his cameo will have done little to win over the doubters – and Wednesday were comfortable with their well-drilled two banks of four.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing but Samuelsen could have provided the spark that was badly missing.