STEVE Kean insists Junior Hoilett should have had a first half penalty at the Reebok Stadium and believes, if it had been given, it would have been a very different game.

The Rovers boss conceded Bolton were worthy winners in the relegation crunch clash on Saturday, but was adamant Hoilett’s tumble proved a big “turning point”.

The Canadian looked to have been tripped by Bolton full back Gretar Steinsson as he fell inside the box on 22 minutes with the score goalless, but referee Andre Marriner waved play on.

Bolton went on to race into a 2-0 half time lead and, despite Steven Nzonzi’s second half lifeline, Rovers were unable to recover.

Kean said: “We are disappointed. I think we had a very good shout for a penalty at 0-0 but, that aside, I thought Bolton were better.

“I felt it was a penalty. We have got the beauty of being able to see it in slow motion and high definition and from four or five different angles and Steinsson definitely got a contact on Junior’s shin and I felt that was a big part of the game.

“It was always going to be an occasion where Bolton were going to be right at it and the first goal was vital. That was a massive turning point. If we could get our noses in front it is a different result. But we have to move on.

“Having said that we were not great in the first half, we were not our usual selves, we were poor, we were sluggish.”

Having fallen behind to two simple David Wheater headers, Rovers were always facing an uphill task to get back into the game.

And Kean admits he side fell below the standards they have set in that first half as their three-match unbeaten run ended.

“They got to the second ball quicker, they dictated the play in the middle third. I felt they were much, much better than us – which is disappointing,” said Kean.

“We are normally better with the ball, we normally get the ball back much quicker so I thought we were disappointing, not only the result but the performance.

“But we have to look at the first half because we were way below what we normally do. Our standards have climbed dramatically over the past couple of months and we have to get back to that and go on another run it is as simple as that.

“When I looked at the stats at half time, I saw most of the second balls were being picked up by Bolton players. Normally when we get about our business we get to the ball quickly and that normally finishes in a fruitful attack.”