BLACKBURN Rovers boss Gary Bowyer admitted his side’s defending, which had been much improved in recent weeks, was ‘not good enough’ in last night's 3-2 home loss to Brentford.

Weary and injury-ravaged Rovers, playing their 12th game in the last 38 days, twice went in front in an enthralling first half with fine goals from recalled duo Rudy Gestede and Chris Taylor.

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Chris Long had brought Brentford level in between and their second equaliser, scored by Jota eight minutes into the second half, also owed much to a lack of closing down from their opponents.

And Bowyer was also disappointed by the Bees’ winner, netted by substitute Andre Gray six minutes from the end of normal time, a goal which ended Rovers’ three-match winning run league and which leaves them 11 points behind the play-offs.

“We’ve said in the dressing room – we can’t be scoring two goals at home and not be taking anything from the game,” said Bowyer, who was without eight first-team players and saw Ben Marshall come off with a gash on his leg.

“We took the game to them and scored a good goal, got pegged back and then went again and scored just before half-time.

“But if you look at all three goals Brentford have scored, they’re poor goals from our point of view.

“The first one he’s had a long way to run, the second one he’s had even further to run and we gave the ball away cheaply for the third. It’s not been good enough.

“And it’s something we thought we had got our of game to be honest.

“But if you look at the lads, they’ve given absolutely everything. They’ve had a tough couple of weeks, that’s for sure, but I thought they dug deep again and showed great character.”

Before the match Bowyer confirmed that on-loan defender Doneil Henry had returned to West Ham United after suffering a hamstring injury in Saturday’s 3-1 success at Charlton Athletic.

But he did reveal that Craig Conway’s own hamstring injury, which also forced him off against Charlton, is not as serious, although it will sideline him for two weeks, ruling the winger out of Saturday’s home clash with Brighton & Hove Albion.