Alebiosu talks about penalty in Blackburn's draw

Super Eagles defender Ryan Alebiosu, who was named Player of The Match, has spoken about the penalty decision that stopped Blackburn Rovers from winning against Wolves in their Championship opener at Molineux on Friday.

Blackburn seemed ready to take all three points after coming back to lead 2-1. But referee Farai Hallam pointed to the spot in stoppage time after the ball hit Alebiosu’s arm from a cross by Jackson Tchatchoua. Replays showed that the handball likely happened outside the box.

There is no VAR in the EFL. Raul Jimenez, back with Wolves, scored the penalty to level the game at 2-2.

Marshall Munetsi had put Wolves ahead in the 18th minute. Sean McLoughlin equalized for Blackburn from a Ryoya Morishita cross. Andri Gudjohnsen then put Blackburn in front three minutes after half-time. But Jimenez’s late penalty earned a point for the home team.

After the match, the 24-year-old Alebiosu, who played the full 90 minutes and has been linked with a transfer this summer, expressed his frustration with the referee's decision.

“We’re frustrated. The boys have done everything to get the three points. The ball has been played, and I thought I was outside the box. Obviously the decision has gone against us,” Alebiosu said.

Blackburn's coach Tony Mowbray also disagreed with the penalty call. He returned to the club hoping for a strong start but was let down.

“Having watched the still pictures, it looks outside the box to me. If it hits him on the hand and it is away from his body, I suppose in modern-day football it is a penalty. But it still looks outside the box to me,” Mowbray said.

Despite the disappointment, Alebiosu was proud of his teammates and believes Blackburn can climb higher in the league if they keep playing like they did against Wolves.

“The boys dug deep, and we thought we had it. Just the final details with the penalty is frustrating. If we play like that every week, we will go far in the table,” he said.

Blackburn Rovers will aim for their first win of the season when they face Middlesbrough at Ewood Park next weekend.