Defender Tommy Spurr insists Blackburn Rovers will not let their season peter out

But the left-back admits the performance in Saturday’s dismal defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion was ‘not acceptable at all’.

MORE TOP STORIES:

The 1-0 home loss left deeply disappointed Rovers fans wondering whether their side had thrown the towel in on their league campaign.

But Spurr is adamant that is not the case and that they will bid to close the huge 13-point gap to the play-off places on their return to Championship action.

“I wouldn’t say the play-offs and the season have gone because it’s mathematically possible and we’ve shown we’ve got it in us to string wins together,” said the 27-year-old.

“And when you look at the games we’ve got left, the gaffer has showed us we’ve beaten them all, and there’s no reason why we can’t do it again.

“There is no point in letting the season peter out and say, ‘oh, it’s gone’.

“That’s not what I want to do and it’s not what the gaffer or the lads want to do.

“We’ll do everything we can. We know we’re behind a few teams but we won’t work on the basis that it’s gone.

“We’ve just got to keep going, pick up results and then you just never know “But we know the first half on Saturday was just not acceptable at all.

“At least we had a bit of a go in the second half, created a few chances, if not clear cut ones, and put it on them.

“We put in a few tackles and made it hard for them as it was too easy for them in the first half.”

Spurr’s and Rudy Gestede’s arrival 10 minutes after the restart signalled a desperately needed improvement in lacklustre Rovers.

And the former Sheffield Wednesday and Doncaster man admits it was tough watching from the bench before the break.

“It’s hard for me to comment on the first half with being on the bench but we looked a little bit flat and the lads didn’t seem quite at it,” said Spurr, who was making just his sixth appearance of the season after recovering from a serious groin injury.

“A few words were said at half-time and we got a little bit of a reaction second half but we just can’t afford to start like that again. It was well below our standards.

“It’s a long time since we’ve played like that but we can’t make excuses.

“It was not good enough and we can’t afford to put in performances like that and expect to get back in the game.”

It was Rovers’ 13th match in 43 days.

Spurr labels it has been the ‘hardest two months’ of games in his career.

But he dismisses the idea it can excuse their first-half no-show.

“Not at all,” he said.

“The gaffer’s changed it when he has been able to and people have had a break here and there.

“It’s probably been the hardest two months of games I’ve known in my career but it’s not an excuse because it’s been the same for a lot of teams.”