ROVERS boss Tony Mowbray praised League One champions Wigan Athletic after Paul Cook's side pipped Rovers to the title.

Mowbray's men finished the season on 96 points after a final day 2-1 win over Oxford at Ewood but the Latics won 1-0 at Doncaster to end top of the pile.

The Ewood boss also hailed Shrewsbury Town's season as Paul Hurst's side defied the odds to mount a title challenge which only faded in the closing stages.

The Shrews finished third on 87 points and will now face Charlton Athletic in the play-offs.

And Mowbray felt the three-way fight for promotion brought the best out of his side.

Speaking after the win over Oxford he said: "We have to talk a little bit about Wigan and congratulate Paul Cook and his team and his staff and his players.

"They are a fantastic football team and to finish above a team that gets 96 points is a huge credit to them.

"We had two fantastic games against them this year, they both ended up even and ultimately they pipped us to it (the title) so congratulations to them.

"At the end of the day we have achieved our goal this season which was to get out of this division. And to accrue 96 points, in most seasons that is going to win any league.

"There were three teams that strode away from everybody else. I think the points that ourselves and Wigan managed to achieve this year was because of Shrewsbury Town pushing us every inch of the way until maybe the last 10 days of the season."