SAM Allardyce was left pondering what might have been as Rovers could only draw with Liverpool at Ewood Park.

The game ended goalless, but it was Rovers, despite playing 120 minutes on Wednesday night, who ended the match the stronger of the two sides but spurned the opportunities to claim the victory.

After missing four matches due to a minor heart operation, Sam Allardyce was back at Ewood Park, the Rovers supremo watching on from the Jack Walker Stand.

But at the end of the goalless encounter, he was left to rue the chances missed by his charges.

"I'm glad to say there is a slight disappointment in the dressing room that we've drawn," Rovers boss Sam Allardyce told Radio Rovers after the game.

"Unfortunately for us it is our fault and we haven't taken the chances that came our way.

"That is a real shame today because what we limited Liverpool to was very very little indeed. In fact nothing at all in the first half, not even a shot on target, there's the one that hit the bar.

"But up to then it was us missing the chances, particularly Franco when he got through and then Benni just before we brought him off and of course Niko Kalinić just at the end.

"At the death Niko should have won it for us, but he put it wide as he got fouled. It wouldn't have mattered if it was a foul or a sending off, a booking or a free-kick to us, if he had just rolled the ball into the back of the net.

"There's no recovery for Liverpool then, it is 1-0 to us and that is the end of the game.

"So it is a great shame that one of those didn't come off for us and that it hasn't ended up with three points but I'm really pleased about the players performance, about their energy levels, having gone through a game on Wednesday with extra-time, was superb.

"We are looking ever better as a team and as a unit, so to get a result against one of the big four is always a great boost, and on the top of getting into the semi-final of the Carling Cup even better.

"It was a big result for us, but we had the chance to beat Liverpool today.

"I'm pleased with the clean sheet, I'm pleased with the point, but it should have been all three."