ROVERS Under-23s boss Damien Johnson was ultimately left disappointed after his side let the lead slip on three occasions in the 3-3 draw with Cardiff City in the Premier League Cup.

Joe Nuttall looked to have made the game safe with three minutes to go when he put Rovers 3-2 in front, but Bluebirds full-back Callum Paterson scored his third equaliser of the game in injury time as Johnson’s men had to settle for a point.

Nuttall had given Rovers the lead with just 40 seconds gone, and despite Paterson levelling on 18 minutes, an outstanding solo goal from Dan Butterworth restored Rovers’ lead four minutes after the break.

Paterson’s second equaliser came just before the hour and even though Nuttall missed a penalty midway through the second half, he looked to have the game sewn up when he swept home a Lewis Travis cross in the 87th minute only for even later drama at the other end.

And Johnson said: “It is frustrating.

“There are lots of positives in the performance but we are disappointed with the goals that we conceded, the lads are disappointed with themselves, particularly with getting the third late on, you have to see the game out and defend properly.

“They were pretty one dimensional in terms of their main attacking threat.

“It’s a lesson for the defenders.”

All three Cardiff goals came from balls in to the Rovers box and Johnson felt the inability to carry out the basics let his side down.

He added: “One should be enough, especially with three minutes to go.

“Having missed the penalty we showed good character to keep going and there were positives in terms of our attacking play.

“If you can’t do the basics right in terms of defending balls in to your box then you’re going to have problems and it’s a lesson for them to learn.

“What is good about this competition is that you come up against different types of opposition.

“This game was more direct, they came and sat back, asked us questions, put the ball in our box and you have to be able to deal with all types of situations and we didn’t do that.”

Rovers are in a group alongside Watford and Southampton, with the competition seeing each side play each other twice, home and away.

The Under-23s have been in fine form so far this season, winning five of their opening six games and they should have taken all three points at Leyland on the balance of chances created.

Cardiff’s experienced keeper Lee Camp saved several one-on-one attempts from Nuttall, who he also denied from the spot, while Butterworth also went close to adding to his tally.

Having qualified for the knockout stages last year, only to lose to eventual winners Swansea, Johnson is eyeing progress in the competition once again but puts player development at the top of his priorities.

“Of course we want to progress and get out of the group but ultimately we’re looking at the performance,” he said.

“If the performance in terms of how we defend our box is better then we win the game and that’s the disappointing thing.

“In possession we will probably play a lot worse and win, but we got punished and that’s something we have to learn.”

Rovers: Fisher, Travis, C Doyle, Platt, J Doyle (Evans, 58), Tomlinson (Wright, 66), Hardcastle, Mols, Rankin-Costello, Butterworth (Mansell, 75), Nuttall

Subs: Thomson, Dillon