Hughes: It was a difficult day for us

MARK HUGHES felt that his side didn't play to their usual standard as they slipped to their second home defeat of the season.

Robbie Keane's 55th minute goal was enough to give Tottenham all three points in a poor display by Rovers.

"We never really got a head of steam in all honesty," said the manager after the game.

"From the initial period when we hoped to get at them we never really picked the tempo that we needed to and it is always difficult to raise the tempo if you start slowly. And we found that to our costs.

"We were a bit laboured to say the least for long periods.

"The one time where I felt we were just getting a head of steam then we go and concede.

"It was a terrible goal from our point of view, we had more than enough time to deal with it, we didn't react to people running off the back of our players and it was a poor poor goal.

"It was always going to be a difficult night after that, once they got their noses in front they got plenty of bodies behind the ball and in fairness we didn't have enough imagination or guile to open them up.

"We had a lapse and at this level you get punished. Our level of performance wasn't as high as it has been in recent times.

"Credit to the lads, they kept going to the end, but Spurs defended very well. It was a difficult day for us."

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