OWEN Coyle admits his side would have lost the game by two or three goals earlier in the season as they extended their unbeaten home run with a 1-1 draw against Huddersfield Town.

Kasey Palmer put the visitors infront after just five minutes when he headed in a left-wing corner as the Terriers started much the stronger.

They could, and probably should, have led by more before Rovers levelled things up from the spot thanks to Danny Graham’s fifth of the season.

That’s how it stayed despite a very open second period where both sides had chances to try and force the winner.

The points keeps Rovers outside of the Championship bottom three and means they are unbeaten in three games ahead of next Saturday's short trip to Preston.

And Coyle told the Telegraph: “I thought it was very hard fought game and we had a very slow start against a very good team.

“They had led the league for several games and were in the play-off places coming in to it so we had to try and find a different way around them.

“We showed plenty of heart and endeavour, as we have in plenty of games recently, but we didn’t pass and move the ball as well as we have done and we have to be honest about that.

“That was a game that earlier in the season we would have lost by two or three goals but we have come along way since then.

“We were out of sorts in terms of our passing but in the second half we had the better of the chances and with a better final ball and being a bit more clinical, we could have had another.

“Huddersfield had plenty of the ball but apart from one shot which Steeley tipped round, and a few corners and shots that we got blocks to, but in terms of real goalscoring chances we had the better of them.

“Gallagher and Graham went close, we had two or three two-v-ones which we didn’t take advantage of so we were always a threat and that will only help us going forward.”

Rovers started slowly, and trailed to Palmer's early goal, and the Terriers could have had more in a dominant opening.

Martin Cranie and Aaron Mooy both hit the bar, while Rajiv van La Parra twice went close.

And when asked if he feared his side could have been blown away in the opening stages, Coyle said: “You are always worried when you don’t play well and we didn’t start well.

“But we got the blocks in and stayed in the game.

“I always knew that with this group we were well capable of coming back.

“We’ve done it so many times, because we’ve got the heart and the spirit for the fight.

“In the Championship when a team goes in front they normally go on and win that game.

“But we’ve shown heart that we can pick ourselves up and go again so we have that spirit and know we’re getting better as the season goes on.

“We’re now 18 points from 12 games which is play-off form across the whole of the season so we know we’re getting better and getting in to an area of the league that we want to be.”