BLACKBURN Rovers Gary Bowyer praised the quality and character shown by his side after coming from behind to beat big-spending Wigan Athletic 3-1 yesterday in front of the largest Ewood Park crowd of the season.

The Latics missed a 40th-minute penalty, awarded after Callum McManaman clearly dived in the box, before they went ahead six minutes after the restart through James Perch.

But Rovers, who are now unbeaten in their last nine league matches at home, hit back impressively to earn a ‘huge’ win with two stunning goals from man-of-the-match Ben Marshall and one from red-hot Jordan Rhodes.

Bowyer, who hailed the impact of substitute Luke Varney, said: “I thought it was a hell of a good game – two very good teams having a right good go at each other.

“I thought it was a little bit like a boxing match in the first half and we were disappointed with the award of the penalty – if you look at it again, you can see what happens. It’s not a penalty.

“We were obviously disappointed with the manner of their goal but we responded well and showed great character. We’re a young team who are learning all the time and getting better.

“Wigan possess some quality, they are a fantastic team with a great manager and they’re going to be right up there, so it’s a huge win for us.”

Latics boss Uwe Rosler, who spent £10m in the summer, felt McManaman was fouled in the lead up to Rhodes’ decisive strike.

Instead the free kick went Rovers’ way and the predatory striker headed in Craig Conway’s delivery for his third goal in as many games.

Rosler said: “I don’t think we deserved that. I’m sitting here not being really unhappy in general about our performance. Of course there are periods in the game where we lost our control.

“But to sum it up, the decision before the second goal, I’m very, very unhappy with that. I think that turned the game in favour of Blackburn.

“I personally felt the opposition bench was unhappy with the penalty situation and was consistently in the ear of the referee and I think the referee being in front of the Blackburn Rovers crowd, made that decision.

“When he watches it back, he will be unhappy with his own decision making in that position.

“It turned the game definitely.”

Rovers switched from a 4-4-2 to a 4-3-3 formation, with Marshall in the hole behind Rhodes, to combat and pose problems for the 3-5-2 system used by Wigan.

And Bowyer said: “We felt that was our best way of playing against the system Wigan play.

“It just shows the flexibility in the squad because that team that was picked could quite have easily gone to 4-4-2.

“We’re delighted with how they took it on board and had a right good go at it.”