BLACKBURN’S impressive 14-match unbeaten run in the Championship came to an end on Tuesday when they fell to a 3-1 defeat at Norwich.

Ever since suffering a 1-0 midweek reverse at the hands of Cherries at Ewood Park in mid- March, when Lewis Grabban had been on target, Gary Bowyer’s men had been in fine form.

They closed the 2012-13 season with six wins and six draws and opened this term with a 1-1 draw at home to Cardiff and a 2-1 win at Blackpool.

But Grabban again proved the scourge of the east Lancashire side as he bagged a double for new club Norwich to help the Canaries sink Rovers at Carrow Road.

Blackburn boss Gary Bowyer said: “We felt we were on the wrong side of two major decisions. But I thought we responded well.

“I think you saw the relief of Norwich when their third goal went in. It showed they knew that they had been in a real game.

“Unfortunately, key moments went against us which influenced the game massively.”

Rovers are facing a similar problem to that which Cherries had to contend with over the summer – keeping hold of their star striker.

Jordan Rhodes, who netted 25 times last season, has been linked with a move to Hull and the Tigers yesterday had a bid rejected for the £12million-rated hitman.

Boss Steve Bruce is keen to fill the void left by Shane Long, who has joined Ronald Koeman’s rebuilding project at Southampton.

Rhodes has bagged 52 goals in 90 outings for Blackburn and, in the past eight months, Rovers have only lost one game in which he has found the net.

The 24-year-old was on target twice in Blackburn’s 3-1 win at Dean Court in September.