BRIAN Laws has backed Clarke Carlisle to bounce back from the mistakes that cost Burnley the chance to climb out of the relegation zone against Portsmouth.

The central defender switched off when Frederic Piquionne opened the scoring in the first half, then conceded two second-half penalties after Martin Paterson had equalised before the break.

Jamie O’Hara’s first spot kick was saved by Brian Jensen, but Hassan Yebda later beat the Dane from the spot to give the bottom club something to celebrate after going becoming the first Premier League club to go into administration.

Pompey ended the game with 10 men, after Ricardo Rocha was sent off for a second bookable offence.

But despite late pressure, Burnley couldn’t capitalise on their numerical advantage.

“There’s no hiding place out there ... Clarke Carlisle’s absolutely made a mess of it, but he’s big enough and brave enough to stand up and be counted,” said Burnley boss Laws, pictured left.

“There’s no point me shouting and raising my voice at him. He knows he’s made a mistake, he’s owned up to it and that’s it. You can’t hide out on the pitch and he hasn’t.

“We all make mistakes in football. They can be costly, but nobody has a perfect game all the way round, you just hope (the mistakes) don’t cost you a goal.

“I wouldn’t have thought I’d see that defending ever.

“He knows it was down to him there, but we have to move on from that.

“I’m sure he’ll bounce back. He’s got to.”

Jensen, who saved a penalty at Portsmouth’s Fratton Park earlier in the season, also showed support for Carlisle by refusing to dwell on the mistakes.

“Of course it was a bit self-inflicted but I don’t want to comment on that one. It happens, we just have to get on the bike again and try to get some wins somewhere else,” he said.

“Everybody’s seen what’s happened and he knows himself, and that’s it.”