Southend boss Chris Powell felt his side deserved something, including a late penalty, from their defeat at Ewood Park.

Danny Graham’s 16th goal of the season proved to be the only goal of the game as Rovers held on late on.

Tony Mowbray’s side survived some late pressure from the visitors, who wanted a penalty late on when Simon Cox went down under pressure from Dominic Samuel.

Powell said: “I thought we should have got something I thought our performance, from start to finish, was befitting of a side that’s higher in the league.

“They’re a good side and they look like dead certs to go up, but our game plan was good and we grew into the game. I thought the way we went about it, the changes we made, the change of shape; they really took to it and we really took the game to them.

“The true acid test is coming to the league leaders and performing, and we certainly did that.

“We’re little old Southend against a side that used to win the Premier League. We did perform and that’s pleasing as a manager. I don’t like losing but there’s a lot to like about what we did; how we took the game to them and hopefully that’ll help us moving forward for the remaining five games but for my plans for next year as well.”

On the penalty appeal, he told his club’s official website: “I’m standing here now wondering how we didn’t get a point at least. Not only was there a goalmouth scramble, which was crazy enough, but I thought there was a penalty in there.

“I’ve seen it now and I know a lot of manager’s say they haven’t seen it when they have. I’ve seen it; why would he [Cox] go down in the six-yard area?

“He got a push but sometimes they go for you, other times they don’t.”