Mowbray says draw felt like a defeat as Blackburn are pegged back by Wigan

Tony Mowbray said Blackburn’s home draw with Wigan felt like a defeat after seeing his side concede two “really avoidable goals” to surrender a 2-0 lead against their promotion rivals.

Rovers raced out of the blocks and struck twice in the opening 17 minutes through Adam Armstrong’s 25-yard strike and an Elliott Bennett effort.

But Wigan showed their class after the break and reduced the deficit through Michael Jacobs’ volley before Max Power’s free-kick from near the touchline evaded everybody to ensure a share of the spoils.

Blackburn are five points clear of Shrewsbury at the top of League One and stretched their unbeaten home league run to 14 matches, but Rovers manager Mowbray was far from impressed by the way his side lost their half-time advantage at Ewood Park.

He said: “I thought we started the second half really well to be honest. It’s the nature of the goals. I think the goals we conceded were really poor goals.

“I’m conscious of sitting here saying our goals were brilliant goals that we work on and that’s how we play, and their goals were just scrappy, soft, poor goals defensively.

“That’s how I saw them though – really avoidable goals. Not cut open, not by great play from Wigan.

“(The second goal) nobody’s touched it. Somebody has to get some contact on it, but anyway they didn’t. We are where we are.

“We drew 2-2, it feels like a defeat.

“It’s all to play for really. We have to take the positives, we have to say how high quality our play was first half and that’s the levels we can reach. We have to reproduce that sort of level, which we have at stages.”

Wigan, one of only three teams to have beaten Premier League leaders Manchester City this season, have lost just one of their last 10 away league games.

They remain six points behind Blackburn in third place in League One, but boast four games in hand on the pacesetters.

First-team coach Anthony Barry said his side’s “big personality” was the reason for the fightback.

He said: “In the end, possibly a just result. We felt like we were always the team trying to take the game to Blackburn.

“I think they got goals at important times in the first half, and then our lads have shown massive character and big personality to fight back.

“We trust our lads a lot. I think obviously when you’re 2-0 down, you’re bound to be a touch concerned.

“You’re playing a good side like Blackburn, it’s a tough deficit, 2-0. But we always trust our lads. We know we’ve got good players, a good squad, and we believed we could get back into the game.

“I think before the game we came here to win, with a style of play and set-up to go and hurt Blackburn.

“Their two goals obviously put us on the back foot from there, but eventually I think we have to be happy with a point.”