Boss Mick McCarthy felt the Blues were the better side in the second half until they conceded the goal which won Blackburn the game.
McCarthy said: "I thought in the second half we were the better team until they scored but goals change games and probably the course of performances.
"To concede the way we did was pretty galling, from a corner kick. We just didn’t mark properly and Hendo gets an own goal, heads it in his own net, which is even worse.”
The ball appeared to rebound home off Blues keeper Stephen Henderson after Aaron Cresswell cleared it off the line, however, video evidence suggests Rhodes got a touch prior to it striking the Irishman.
The Blues manager says scoring the first goal makes a big difference in tight games: "It does because then we have to throw a little bit of caution, which we did and I thought we had good chances towards the end to get something.
"I was pleased overall with our performance. I can’t ask for any more effort, just [take the opportunity] when you get the chances to put one away.”
He says that despite the differing results, there’s been little in the performances during the losses to Bristol City and Blackburn, the draw with Barnsley — for whom Jason Scotland scored his third goal in three games this afternoon - and the 4-0 win against Middlesbrough: "I thought we played well at Bristol City to get the points. Barnsley scored against us in the 90th minute with a header, that took two points from us.
"Bristol City scored with a finish in the last minute and you’ve got to find that finish from somewhere.”
McCarthy says he’s confident there’s the spirit in his side to beat the drop, despite the result moving them to a point from the bottom three: "You’ve seen that already.
"That performance out there was full of it. We’ve conceded from defending badly from a corner kick, that’s all. But there was not a lot wrong with that performance at all.”
Rovers manager Michael Appleton explained why one-time Blues striker Jordan Rhodes was claiming the goal: "He had the last touch on the ball before Aaron Cresswell tried to clear it.
"It’s one of them, if you’ve got Hawk-Eye probably they’ll be able to tell us if it was over the line or not from the clearance, but it’s difficult to tell when you look back on the DVD.
"But, like I say, the last touch came from Jordan as it was heading towards the goal so I’m sure he’ll get the rewards for the goal.”
He says that in the dressing room Rhodes was in no doubt that the strike which would match a club record of scoring in seven successive league games was his: "Most definitely. It was Grant Hanley who prodded the ball towards goal initially, but Jordan did get a touch, the lads are saying he definitely got a touch on the ball.
"Whether the ball was over the line before Cresswell cleared it, obviously no one really knows. In all honesty I couldn’t care less, but from Jordan’s point of view there’s the record that stands and he’s obviously got his own personal goals and targets.”
[Edit] Video evidence shows Rhodes touched the ball after it was cleared off the line and on its way back towards goal.
Appleton was pleased to gain the three points from what was a tight match: "They turned over Middlesbrough 4-0 last week and we knew it was going to be a tough, tough game.
"Probably a lot of the game we cancelled each other out a little bit. I said last week before the Bristol City game that there are times when you’ve got to grind results out.
"We did that, but I have to say I thought the quality of the second half was much, much better, the tempo of our play was much better.”