BLACKBURN Rovers boss Owen Coyle was pleased with his side’s response after coming back from giving away a “gift” of a penalty to earn a share of the spoils against Birmingham City.

Rovers slipped to second bottom in the Championship table despite the draw which was earned courtesy of Danny Graham’s 11th of the season.

He levelled the game on the stroke of half-time after Rovers trailed to a third minute Lukas Jutkiewicz penalty after Jason Steele brought down David Cotterill.

Both sides had chances to win it after the break, but the result leaves Coyle’s side in the dropzone by virtue of goal difference.

Coyle said: “The fight in this team is never up for debate, and something we pride ourselves on.

“They showed that again.

“It was not the start that anyone envisaged, it was such an avoidable penalty to give away, and that then played in to their hands because they were happy to soak it up and play on the counter-attack.

“We gave the opposition another gift of a start, but shown a lot of good qualities after that.

“When you concede an early goal I obviously understand the frustrations of the fans.

“Jason Steele made a very good save at 1-0 and we had to change things, given we had started with two up front, to match up with them, but from then on, I thought we dominated.

“We got the equaliser on the stroke of half-time with such a wonderful team goal, an exquisite finish, which was no more than we deserved at that point.

“The second half we were the aggressors, but accepting that they would be dangerous on the counter-attack.

“We looked on to try and push on to win the game, and had the chances to do it, but Jason also made a good save from Shotton late on.”

Coyle reported that Charlie Mulgrew, who was forced off in the first-half, picked up a groin injury which will now need to be assessed.

Having lost a number of close games by conceding late goals, Coyle felt it was important that his side left with a minimum of one point.

He added: “There was a valuable lesson to be learned and that was that if you can’t those three points, then make sure we didn’t lose the game and get a minimum of one.

“There have been games this season where we have had the chances but not got that goal and then been hit by the sucker-punch because we’ve been so focussed on winning the game.

“Who’s not to say that won’t be an important point at the end of the season?”