ROVERS skipper Charlie Mulgrew admits the players deserved their dressing down from Tony Mowbray after starting life in League One with defeat.

Despite Mulgrew’s stunning second half free-kick, Rovers were beaten 2-1 by Southend United at Roots Hall, leaving Mowbray frustrated and disappointed.

Rovers conceded from a set play for the opening goal, and then missed several opportunities to clear before Michael Kightly made it 2-0 eight minutes before half-time.

They threatened a comeback at the start of the second half, when Mulgrew scored an excellent free-kick, but the defender admits the performance wasn’t good enough to warrant anything from the game.

“We are devastated, the changing room was gutted,” said Mulgrew.

“But we are going to have to learn from it and move on.

“We were well aware coming in to the game what it was going to be like but we needed a test like for it to really hit home.

“If we didn’t realise it, we do now, we’re in for a fight and we need to win the battle first this year.

“He (the manager) had a go at us and rightly so, we need to step it up and be counted and show a bit of character.”

The game was a physical battle from minute one, with Southend winning the majority of second balls, while Marc Antoine-Fortune proved a handful in attack.

Southend went in to the break 2-0 ahead, leaving Rovers with a mountain to climb, and a 15 minute spell at the start of the second half apart, they rarely threatened.

“It was physical, it was battle,” Mulgrew said of life in League One.

“But goals change games and they managed to get in front and got another and from then on it was always going to be an uphill struggle.

“We got a goal back but are gutted that we couldn’t sustain that possession and create a few more chances and really put them on the back foot.

“But that’s what we’re going to have to do in the coming weeks, we need to look at it, pick the bones out of it and get on with it.”

Mulgrew was handed the armband by Mowbray having led Rovers out for much of pre-season.

He stunning free-kick eight minutes after hauled his side back in to contention, but that momentum soon fizzled out.

But delighted to be handed the armband, Mulgrew is hoping the team can turn things around and start putting results on the board.

“It was a proud moment for myself to captain a club like this,” the 31-year-old added.

“I’m thankful for the opportunity and the most important thing is the team and if we can perform in the coming weeks then hopefully performances and results can come with that.”