Tony Mowbray was encouraged by his team’s display in the home draw with Nottingham Forest – but disappointed by a return of just one point from two home games.

Rovers led against Nottingham Forest courtesy of Adam Armstrong’s second of the season, only to be pegged back within two minutes by a Joe Lolley strike.

It was Rovers pressing for the winner late on, but Forest held out for a point, three days after Luton Town left Ewood Park victorious. That means Rovers have won just two of their opening six home matches ahead of Saturday’s trip to QPR.

Forest went in to the game with a chance of making top spot and remain unbeaten from their opening six away fixtures, with Mowbray encouraged by the display.

“I was pleased with them all tonight, hopefully that comes across,” he said.

“I said to them afterwards, yes we can be disappointed we only drew at home, but I think it put down a marker for where we are in the league.

“Forest had won five out of six, gone to some big places and won some big games and if anyone  was going to win that tonight it was us.”

He added: "Ultimately we’re left frustrated again.

"It's not too similar to Saturday as although we weren’t as dominant, we grew into the game though and (Stewart) Downing started pulling the strings in the second half.”

Armstrong was Rovers’ standout attacker and gave Rovers the lead when squeezing an effort in at the near post. But that lead was shortlived as Lolley found room to fire home from 25 yards and earn his side a share of the spoils.

"I think we’re frustrated having worked so hard to get the goal and then to let them back in with something we were aware of - Lolley scoring from 25 yards,” Mowbray added.

"We’d talked about closing him down and denying their wide players space.

"I think we did enough to get more from the game but to think they could’ve gone top of the league tonight is a gauge for us really.

"It’s still really early in the season and we have to believe we can compete with every team in the division.

"I think we did tonight against a decent side.

"We’re left frustrated, we took a point but one point from two games at home isn’t what we’re looking for.

"On Saturday we dominated and came away with nothing, tonight wasn’t the same, it was an intense football match which we probably shaded.

"It wouldn’t have been an injustice if we’d have got the three points."

Rovers had won back-to-back matches after the international break, but just one point from their last two has halted their progress a little.

While Mowbray saw plenty of positives, he says that return has left him and his players with a sense of frustration.

"Undoubtedly. It was a great opportunity for us to put our stamp on this league and at the end of this spell to find ourselves pretty high up the table and making our mark,” he explained.

"We haven’t managed to do that, we’re still a work in progress and we’re trying to bed in some new players who don’t really know how we play.

"There’s a bit of concern at the moment when you’re putting them on the pitch that they don’t play to our shape.

"They’ll integrate, we’ll get it right and hopefully after 46 games we’ll prove we’re a decent side."