ANGRY Blackburn boss Graeme Souness last night called on his defenders to tighten up after Chelsea sent Rovers crashing to a second successive defeat.

Gianfranco Zola's 80th minute winner secured a 3-2 win for Claudio Ranieri's Blues as Rovers lost at home for the first time in seven months.

And Souness struggled to hide his disappointment afterwards as he blasted his players for three bad errors which cost them the game.

"It was a disappointing night for us and I felt it was a bit hard on us not to get something from the game," said Souness.

"Give Chelsea credit, they are a good team and they passed it well. But we conceded three bad goals.

"The second was like something out of Fred Carno's circus. We went to sleep thinking the ball was going to go out of play.

"So we were very disappointing in that department because to concede three goals at home is not what we want.

"Hopefully, the players are hurting mentally because it's hard to take losing two games on the belt when we felt we should have got something out of both.

"But that's the nature of this business. It can sometimes kick you in the teeth."

Those thoughts were also echoed by new-boy David Thompson, whose performance on his home debut was one of the few pluses for Souness on the night.

"It was very disappointing. In the first half, I felt we didn't do too badly and came in 2-1 up which was pleasing," said Thompson.

"But then we came out for the second half and never got going, we didn't pick up the second balls, we let them play, and the goals we conceded were absolutely diabolical.

"That's something we've got to sort out quickly because, if we are going to concede goals like that, then we are going to be towards the bottom of the table rather than the top because that was schoolboy stuff."

On an eventful night, Rovers had led twice courtesy of first half goals from Thompson and David Dunn, either side of a Jesper Gronkjaer strike.

But Zola then restored parity with a simple header shortly after the break before wrapping up all three points with a glorious finish in a frantic finale.

That was the first time Rovers had conceded three at home since they lost to Arsenal on January 30.

But Souness later insisted he will not change his side's cavalier style in an effort to shore things up defensively.

"This is what makes our league so attractive. Outside of three or four teams, everyone goes for it and that's what makes it so exciting," said Souness.

"The rules which were introduced a couple of years ago where the big lumps who play at the back can't come straight through the back of strikers anymore means for better football.

"And I think that's why we have such a wonderful product in the Premier League.

"So we are like a lot of teams. Chelsea won't be happy at conceding two but they still went home with the points.

"As I've said many times, I don't think I have the players or I'd want the players that play to nick games as some people do.

"That's not my style but, obviously, I'm very unhappy at conceding three goals in the manner which we did but that's the first time we've done it this season so I'm hoping it's a one-off."