Tony Mowbray admits ‘statistics add up’ after seeing his side beaten 3-2 at Leeds United.

Charlie Mulgrew scored twice, including a last minute free kick, which put Rovers within four minutes of doing the double over the league leaders.

But Kemar Roofe scored twice in injury time, including a 95th minute winner, as Rovers were left pointless.

It is now one win in eight for Rovers ahead of games with Sheffield United and West Brom, and no clean sheet since November 3.

The goals against column is on the rise, as is the number of points thrown away from winning positions.

And Mowbray said: “I can’t sum up out how the players were feeling, other than it was pretty quiet. The inquest was starting as I walking out (to speak to the press).

“I’m pretty proud of the team, the way they played for 90 minutes, the effort, drive, desire, organisation, commitment.

“We showed that we’re not far away.

“But statistics add up, it’s been a while since we’ve had since a victory, and it’s been frustrating, particularly at home.

“We’ve played the teams who have been top of the table and they are difficult fixtures, as the next two are.

“But if we show the same qualities as we have today then over the course of the 46 games I think we’ll prove to be a decent side.”

Mowbray admits Leeds moving central defender Pontus Jansson up front after the Rovers second goal, clouded his side’s thinking.

Asked if game management was a concern, the boss added: “It was today, obviously.

“We’ve had good and bad spells during my time in charge with game management.

“A few years ago in the Championship we had a few 1-0 wins in games that were pretty edgy yet we saw them out.

“When they threw Jansson up top it seemed to throw our team and I don’t know why we ended up with our striker going back and making him and not having some up front to get hold of the ball and slow the game down.

“We ended up with everyone back and you can’t just take everyone back in your box thinking you’ll head it out every time and not have anyone up the pitch to fight for it higher up the pitch.

“Game management, there are lessons to learn but I don’t think it’s something you take to the training pitch, they have to understand that you have to have people in front of the ball so it doesn’t keep coming back.

“If you do that, they will keep putting it in the box and we have to be braver, if you head the ball out then you can go and break away.

“There’s the lessons, you try and take them from every defeat, and there are plenty from today.

“But I was hugely impressed with their drive and their togetherness at what is an extremely difficult place to come.

“I’d rather talk about the positives of the team, how they dug in, how hard they worked and carried a cutting edge, not just the goals, but we had a chance when Bradley went through, and on another day it’s a different story.”