OWEN Coyle felt Blackburn Rovers gifted Ipswich Town the three points as they fell to their first defeat of 2017 at Portman Road.

Former Rovers loanee Tom Lawrence scored twice for the hosts, as despite goals from Hope Akpan and Danny Graham, Coyle's side slipped to their 14th league defeat of the campaign.

The result leaves Rovers still one point from safety in the Championship table, ahead of three successive home league games.

All three goals were avoidable from a Rovers point of view, and Coyle said: "I think for the individual mistakes we have made we have gifted them the three points.

"The first goal was a hopeful ball in to the box, Ben Marshall had just got to clear his lines, but he tried to bring it down, I'm not sure if it was a foul or not, I will have to watch it again.

"The lad Lawrence has been in terrific form for them and he's hit under the wall, (Jason) Steeley got a hand to it but couldn't keep it out.

"You find yourselves 1-0 down when you looked in no danger.

"We picked ourselves up and equalised and were well placed at half-time to go and get a good result.

"The second goal, I don't know if Charlie Mulgrew slipped or was fouled and we lost the header and then the lad he was marking has a tap-in.

"The frustrating thing is for the third goal, we had won the ball back twice, and gave it away again, and all week I've been telling them about the boy Lawrence, we saw his goal at QPR from 40 yards out, and this was probably a contender for goal of the  season.

"We gave ourselves a mountain to climb and got ourselves back in the game and were pushing for an equaliser and certainly for me we should have had a second penalty.

"There is a bit of everything there, frustration, anger, whatever you want to call it."

Rovers were given one penalty when Hope Akpan was brought down, with Danny Graham converting to make it 3-2.

In the final minute of stoppage time Coyle felt his side should have had another when Derrick Williams appeared to be pulled back.

He added: "I've watched it again and it was as clear a penalty as you will see.

"Our fans who were on that side will have seen it and we thank them for their support and we're disappointed not to give them something to celebrate.

"It was a clear penalty and I have no doubt about that.

"The referee has obviously seen something we have not."