BLACKBURN Rovers boss Gary Bowyer felt his side should have been awarded two second-half penalties as their unbeaten league start to the year came to an end at promotion rivals Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

Forest raced into a two-goal lead through a brace of penalties from Henri Lansbury – the first of which was hotly disputed – before Ben Marshall halved the deficit before the first half was out.

Rovers pushed hard for an equaliser after the break and had two strong claims for spot-kicks.

But Forest survived the appeals and, thanks to a combination of lacklustre defending and fine finishing from Jamie Paterson and Andy Reid, they secured a 4-1 win which strengthened their place in the play-offs – and left Rovers four points outside of the top six.

Bowyer said: “It was a very mixed performance in the sense that we didn’t start very well and got put on the back foot. Then just as we thought we had weathered that the referee gave them a penalty – and if that is a penalty then we certainly deserved two in the second half.

“Grant Hanley got pulled down by Greg Halford when he was not even looking at the ball, so we were disappointed with that, and then Chris Taylor got pulled down.

“So if their first decision is a penalty then both of those have to be penalties.

“I had no problem with their second penalty.

“Adam Henley should do better and he knows that.”