Blackburn boss Tony Mowbray felt his side handed Sheffield Wednesday a goal “on a plate” after a frustrating 1-1 draw.
Adam Reach’s strike four minutes before the break spectacularly put the visitors ahead after a defensive mix-up, before Blackburn finally responded in the 76th minute through Joe Rothwell’s powerful run and assured finish.
Rovers have won once in their last six outings and find themselves further adrift in the race for the top six.
Although Mowbray said his side’s defensive lapse “handed” the goal to Reach and also highlighted the disruption caused by injuries.
He said: “For me, we handed it to him (Reach) on a plate really didn’t we? It wasn’t dangerous, it wasn’t an attack as such, it was miscommunication between defenders who should have been in control.
“In their defence, it hasn’t been a very consistent backline. Bradley Johnson played centre-half last week. It’s not easy to be out two to three weeks and come back into the intensity with a manager on the sidelines trying to drive you.
“It’s not as if we have had weeks and weeks of working on our back four because they haven’t been fit. Daniel (Ayala) was thrown in again having been injured on crutches a week ago. I don’t want to be too harsh on them.
“It’s not as if we’ve conceded loads of chances and the keeper is making save after save. And yet they are all tight games.
“We have not been as clinical as early season and teams have been more defensive-minded against us.”
The wait for a first away win under Tony Pulis goes on.
The Owls have not won on the road in the league since October, and although the performance was encouraging, Pulis described his side’s habit of surrendering a lead as a “real concern”.
He said: “Ever since I’ve come into the football club, the players have been giving everything they’ve got.
“They worked really hard today against a good Blackburn team, who’ve got good players and are always a threat. They play very open and expansive.
“Overall, you would have taken a point before the game. But then, that’s the fifth time this year, and I’ve only been here 10 games, where we’ve been winning and not seen it out, which is a real concern in lots of ways.
“We’ve had chances at the other end to make it two, and that finishes the game.
“Really disappointing (equaliser). That’s twice now, people have backed off.
“Norwich did similar to us around the edge of the box. People have to get up to the ball and squeeze inside the pitch.
“They’ve got to be really brave in their decision-making to get to the ball. He’s in the box when he side-foots it in, which is completely and utterly ridiculous.
“But for the rest of the time, apart from them hitting the post, I thought we handled them really well.”
