Tony Mowbray bemoaned the lack of VAR as Rovers were knocked out of the FA Cup by Newcastle United at Ewood Park.

Rovers came from 2-0 down thanks to goals from Adam Armstrong and Darragh Lenihan, having trailed to early strikes from Sean Longstaff and Cal Roberts.

The turning point came in added time at the end of the first half of injury time when Joselu turned in from close range after David Raya had spilled a long shot. The Spaniard was offside when doing so, but the goal stood after the linesman failed to flag.

The VAR technology was in use for the first game between the two sides, because the game was played at a Premier League ground, but not for the replay.

Ayoze Perez added a fourth for the visitors early in the second half.

Rovers named a much-changed team, not helped by injury and illness which left them without four central defenders.

Mowbray said: “The third goal was clearly offside and it’s unfortunate that the officials didn’t get that right.

“It’s strange that within the same tie, a home and away game, you can have VAR in one and not in the other.

“I would have to suggest that if it’s two teams who aren’t Premier League teams then you don’t use VAR in the first one.

“It’s almost creates an advantage.

“VAR here would obviously have chalked that third goal off. I don’t want to make a big thing of it, but it was a big thing because it’s a goal that meant we had to go chasing a game that we otherwise wouldn’t.

“The last 15 minutes we went chasing the game and left ourselves a bit exposed.

“Generally it was a good effort from our team, one that was hugely changed. It wasn’t until this afternoon that we knew about Jack Rodwell.

“I spoke to Paul Downing on the phone, he wasn’t ready for Saturday when we sent him on and he felt washed out, as you do when you have the illness he’s had, no energy.

“Ultimately, with Charlie (Mulgrew) and Derrick (Williams) not available, that’s four centre halves unavailable.

“So we went with a back three that we hadn’t been playing or done any work on. We hadn’t shown them about defending certain ways and it was frustrating that we were playing a new formation and 2-0 down so early on.

“We acclimatised and as you might suspect, with the spirit of this team, got back in the game.

“To lose it in the way we did was frustrating for us.”

Mowbray felt his players rallied well after a poor start, but admits the defending for the goals has to improve.

He added: “I look at the small details of how the goals went in and we have to be better.

“The third goal is offside, but there’s things we have to work on. You can’t concede four goals at home and expect to win football matches.

“Yet it was a totally  new formation thrown at us through necessity.

“Joe Grayson played 90 minutes for the Under-23s against Derby the night before, Dan Butterworth has been with us while he’s been suspended for the Under-23s.
“We’re a bit stretched with illness and injuries. Bradley sat on the bench because he wasn't well this morning. Yet I don't like to only use six substitutes so we went with some young boys and Bradley who was a bit ill.”