Gary Bowyer: 'First Nottingham Forest penalty cost us'

Blackburn Rovers manager Gary Bowyer has expressed his dismay at the referee's decision to award Nottingham Forest a penalty in the first 15 minutes of today's Championship game at the City Ground.

Henri Lansbury went down in the area after pressure from Grant Hanley and the referee immediately pointing to the spot. The Forest man was able to convert, sending the Reds on the way to a 4-1 victory.

"We didn't get started, so we'll put our hands up to that, we were a little bit slow," Bowyer told reporters.

"But then the game changes on that first goal and I've got to be careful because I don't want to get into trouble, but we've just had a look at it again and if that is a penalty then we should have had two penalties in the second half.

"Chris Taylor has been grabbed round as he is going for a cross, then Grant Hanley gets pulled down with Greg Halford not even looking for the ball. So that changes the game."

Rovers currently occupy eighth place in the Championship, four points off a playoff spot.