Blackburn Rovers Football Club News

• Nickname:Rovers
• Founded:1875
• Manager:Steve Kean

• Ground:Ewood Park
• Capacity:31,367

Horror show stuns Hughes

16 Dec 2007 - 11:55:09

Click To Enlarge

Appalled Blackburn manager Mark Hughes could not believe how badly his side had played in the first half of the 5-3 defeat at relegation-threatened Wigan Athletic.

Rovers trailed 3-0 before showing great character to hit back and equalise midway through the second half.

However, two Marcus Bent goals after Brett Emerton had been sent off extended Blackburn's poor recent run to four defeats in six matches.

A distraught Hughes admitted: "Our first-half performance wasn't acceptable. Defensively, we were all over the place.

"We were in a situation 3-0 down where the game looked beyond us, but Roque Santa Cruz's goal on the stroke of half-time obviously helped.

"We got them in the dressing room at half-time, addressed a few things and I wanted a response in the second half and that's certainly what I got.

"We showed great qualities, real determination to get back into a game that really should have been beyond us."

Hughes was unhappy with Wigan's last two goals though, adding: "I think there's a case for offside for both of them.

"Those decisions don't seem to be going for us at the moment. Mr Clattenburg on the day really wasn't at the level that we've seen him before."