BURNLEY manager Brian Laws was frustrated to lose to a dubious free kick at Middlesbrough last night.

The Clarets were leading 1-0 through Andre Bikey’s first goal of the season – a 65th minute header from Graham Alexander’s corner – until the final 11 minutes, when Tarmo Kink stepped off the bench to fire in two unstoppable shots.

Laws admitted he had no complaints with the Estonian’s first from open play.

But he was disappointed they had been denied at least a point after Leroy Lita appeared to dive under pressure from Wade Elliott, and Kink clinched it with a lethal 25-yard free kick.

“It’s disappointing for us because we deserved some-thing out of the game.

"We were certainly the best side in the second half and lost the game with two wonder strikes.

“Sometimes you’ve got to hold your hand up and say ‘that’s the way it goes in football’.

“If a player strikes a ball like that and scores fair play to him.

“I’ve got no complaints with, the second one I’m disappointed with – not for his shot but I was disappointed the referee bought the free kick.

"It wasn’t justified and we’re angry because it’s cost us a goal.

“Leroy Lita’s whole career has been in and around the 18-yard box and he’ll drop like a stone if there’s an opportunity.

“He was falling on the ground before anybody got anywhere near him because he lost control of the ball.

“We’ve got take that on board, but to be beaten by a goal of that magnitude I’ll take it on the chin and we’ll move on.

“We’re disappointed, there’s no question about it – even Clarke Carlisle’s fuming because he made a clear challenge and he (the referee) has given a free kick and a booking for it.

“There were one or two decisions that didn’t really go our way.”

However, Laws conceded his players had been given a taste of what Preston were feeling on Saturday, after Burnley fashioned a late fightback at Turf Moor to win 4-3 after trailing 3-1.

“The shoe’s on the other foot. Gordon Strachan’s made changes, and I made changes at the weekend and it worked.

"It certainly worked for Gordon,” he said.

“The substitute’s come on and scored two great goals for him.

“We’d looked in real control after (Bikey) scored, we kept possession well and used the extra man in midfield really well.

“We’re delighted with the set play because we’ve worked extremely hard on those and it’s bearing fruit.

“We walk away from this one very disappointed, but there are a lot of positives that I’m going to take out of it and if we can move into our next game and play as well as did then hopefully we’ll get the rub of the green this time.

“We’ll go to Crystal Palace full of confidence and if we play like that I’ll be a happy man for it.”