Blackburn Rovers manager Owen Coyle has hit out at referee Kevin Friend for denying his side "as clear a penalty as you will see" in his side's 3-2 defeat at Preston North End on Saturday.

The two sides entered the second half of the encounter on level terms after being awarded a penalty apiece in the first 45 minutes, but Rovers could have been in front five minutes after the restart when Corry Evans appeared to be pulled back by Ben Pearson en route for the goal.

"It was a huge call," Coyle told the Lancashire Telegraph. "He was clean through on goal, one on one, the lad has tugged him back and it would have resulted in a red card as the lad made no attempt to play the ball.

"That would have been a penalty and a clear red card and were in the ascendancy with 11 v 11, never mind 11 v 10. That was a big moment in the game, but that being said, we still scored a terrific team goal, and two each we looked well set to go on and win the game.

"I don't think there was any doubt about it, everyone saw it. I'm always loathed to get involved in these things because people think you're coming from a position of bias, which I probably am, but I've been in the game since I was 13 years of age and for that's as clear as penalty as you will see. He was a yard or two in front of the lad and everyone saw he pulled him back with his arm. It was a clear penalty, not given, and we paid a big price for that."

The result left Coyle's side just outside of the Championship relegation zone on goal difference.