ROD Wallace admits Wanderers blew a great chance to steal a march on their relegation rivals.

The little hit-man gave Wanderers the lead just before half-time with his third Premiership goal of the season - his first was in the 1-1 draw at Blackburn in September - but saw it wiped out by Matt Jansen's superbly struck 68th minute equaliser as 10-man Rovers fought back.

"It's disappointing," Wallace admitted after Wanderers missed an opportunity to stretch their lead over overs to seven points. "We had chances in the second half to finish them off but it wasn't to be."

The former Southampton, Leeds and Rangers striker, who was given his first Premiership start since mid-December, missed one of the chances to double Wanderers' lead four minutes into the second half when he shot narrowly wide of the angle.

"It was close," he explained. "I was trying to bend it back round but I didn't get enough bend on it.

"I'll try again if I'm picked again.

"I'm just happy to be playing because it's been a while - certainly in the Premier League - and now I just have to work on getting my sharpness back.

"But it was pleasing to be playing up front again and getting the goal capped it. I like to be around the main play and I worked on his (Henning Berg's) mistake and took it from there. All I had to do was take it on and put it round the keeper."

On his partnership with Fredi Bobic, which meant top scorer Michael Ricketts having to content himself with a place on the bench, Wallace said: "Things worked all right up to a stage. I was just happy to be out there and whoever's at the side of me, I'll work hard to play with him."