MISTAKES are forgivable once, but if they keep happening even the most patient will begin to grow frustrated.

So the fact Rovers were given a warning that conceding late goals was a habit they needed to break as recently as Tuesday night means Saturday’s 88th-minute winner for Bristol City was particularly hard to take.

Against Nottingham Forest at a sodden Ewood Park, Jason Steele flapped at a bouncing ball from a long throw-in and suddenly his team were under pressure, albeit for only a matter of minutes.

Still, three points in the bag and no major harm done.

But when Aaron Wilbraham’s deflected shot hit the back of the net at the South Stand end of Ashton Gate on Saturday, is was a point thrown away and huge harm done.

Owen Coyle’s side had been good value for a draw up to that point and could have been ahead had their final ball been more accurate.

They were even attacking in the build-up to the Robins’ winner, earning themselves a corner with the hope of still causing an upset.

They had managed to quieten the record 21,000 crowd, who were starting to get on the backs of the own players as Lee Johnson’s men looked like failing to deliver on the big day.

Instead Corry Evans fouled Lee Tomlin, the City man whacked a ball upfield that Jason Lowe should have easily dealt with, but the Rovers skipper missed it and Wilbraham did the rest.

Seriously, lads, this just has to stop.

Rovers are playing well enough to be higher up the table and have had some bad luck this season, most obviously when Marvin Emnes’ goal against Sheffield Wednesday was wrongly chalked off by officials who later apologised.

But this is the Championship, the toughest division in the land where you need steel and determination to go with your talent and teamwork.

And where silly mistakes will cost you dear and see you drop.

That it was 37-year-old former Crystal Palace striker Wilbraham who got the goal, and not City’s teenager tearaway targetman Tammy Abraham - 18 years his junior - tells you that Rovers had done well defensively.

The eight-goal forward, on loan from Chelsea and with a big career no doubt head of him, had been kept quiet by Darragh Lenihan and Tommie Hoban, with the Robins’ only threat coming mainly from long-range efforts from midfield.

Rovers had also tried to set their sights on a number of occasions, in the first half through Evans and later on when Ben Marshall was denied by the fingertips of Blackburn-born goalkeeper Frank Fielding.

Marshall had also seen a shot deflected wide in the opening minutes and then just failed to get on the end of a Craig Conway cross after a lovely ball down the line from full-back Derrick Williams.

Johnson must have raised his voice above its usual soft West Country lilt during the break and his side showed more purpose in the second half.

Jamie Pateron wasted their best chance when he checked back onto his right foot on the edge of the box but fired over the bar.

Rovers hung on though and managed to spurn the best chance when Marshall sent Sam Gallagher through and his cutback cross was two yards behind Conway, who had read the intention and was ready for what would have been a tap-in.

Coyle could have done with freshening up his attack, but with Anthony Stokes at home with food poisoning and Danny Graham still on the treatment table he had no options up front.

He also had to utilise Charlie Mulgrew at left-back after Williams pulled up in pain.

The former Celtic man had a shot when he ventured upfield for a corner and connected from the edge of the box.

The stats showed Rovers had almost double the flag-kicks of their hosts, which is normally an indication that a team is on top.

But the last one proved to be their undoing and when you continue to make mistakes late on in games the only stat that matters is the one which says you lost.