A penalty in each half from Benni McCarthy helped set the course of an exciting east Lancashire derby while Grzegorz Rasiak had a strike disallowed for offside when the teams were level.

Megson said: "A lot of the players are very angry with the way the game was officiated and we've certainly had to bite our tongue, but it's hard to take.

"We have no complaints on the second penalty but a lorry-load of complaints on the first one. And in the second half we have scored what I thought was a perfectly valid goal."

Megson also criticised his side's first-half performance but conceded the Trotters' heroic midweek UEFA Cup performance in Madrid may have had some negative impact on the display.

Megson added: "From our point of view we were pushing to get back in the game and you can do that once, but it is very difficult to lift yourselves twice after the week we've just had.

"We didn't play well in the first half by any stretch, but for a period in the second half we played as well as I've seen us. If anyone was going to win the game at 1-1, it was us."

Rovers boss Mark Hughes said his side's recent sunshine break in Florida had paid off and helped them pull off a fine if flattering victory which reignites their push for a UEFA Cup spot.

Hughes said: "We went away at just the right time and you saw the energy in our play today. We came flying out of the blocks and that's what we wanted and the reason why we did it.

"It is going to take more points to get a European place than it has ever done but we'll keep going. We've got winnable games and if we can put pressure on by taking maximum points hopefully we'll get where we want to go."

Hughes admitted he had some sympathy for his opposite number and sought to ease their pain by predicting Megson's men will win their desperate battle to avoid the drop.

Hughes added: "I think in fairness they caused us a number of problems and will cause lesser teams than us more problems. It'll be difficult and it'll go right down to the wire but I think they're going to be fine."

ends