It will be an interesting phone call I make to Mr Hackett

“The Burnley player was unlucky,” Adams explained after the game. “As he turned over his shoulder he put his foot up to clear the ball and caught Dele Adebola. I've seen them given, and I've seen them waved away. I'm delighted he gave it.”

On his side's performance he added: “Our application was right and I felt in the second half we could have had more. It was a hard fought win and we are delighted with it. Until five games ago we hadn't been on a run, we were winning one and losing one. We don't want to take anything for granted because the league's so tight, but it is the type of run we want.”

Steve Cotterill was an angry man after the game, once again seeing his side go down to a defeat on the back of some strange decisions by a referee, although he also admitted our lack of a cutting edge up front had an effect on the result.

“Two things have cost us the game today,” he said. “We weren't ruthless enough with our chances and the referee's decisions. I didn't think it was a penalty. John McGreal has kicked the ball first and if that is a foul or a penalty then why didn't he book him?

“If anything it was a penalty at the other end on Gifton Noel-Williams, and it will be an interesting phone call I make on Monday morning to Mr Hackett. Decisions like that cost you, because no way was it a penalty and these are match deciding decisions. We have to sharpen up and get better referees, because there are big decisions to be made and they are getting them wrong.

“I can understand a free kick or a tackle going against you, but that was a big decision that decided a game in which I thought we did enough to at least get a result. We just want a consistent standard, whether we are playing at home or away. It's not me griping on a decision either, because over the last month I would have done more good for referees than bad, but unfortunately I can't do that today.”

On to the performance and he said: “Apart from us not being ruthless enough with our chances, I thought we were excellent today. We have come away to a team who are in form and I thought we were the better team on the day. Steve Jones should have scored and Kyle Lafferty and Gifton Noel-Williams both had chances, and we've had a couple of headers from set plays that we could have done better with.

“But goals change games and they change mindsets and it is unfair on us. I feel desperately disappointed for our players, not with them, but for them. The effort they have put in deserved something better but the bottom line is we have to be a little bit more ruthless when those chances come along. We are a bit disappointed and a bit annoyed today.”