BLACKBURN Rovers boss Gary Bowyer played down his touchline spat with Ian Holloway during his side’s heated and frustrating 2-2 draw at 10-man Millwall last night.

But Lions boss Holloway revealed the reason why he lost his temper with his counterpart was because of his reaction to Andy Wilkinson’s 61st-minute sending off.

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Bowyer stormed out of the dugout after on-loan Stoke City right-back Andy Wilkinson’s challenge left Ben Marshall writhing in agony.

Tempers flared between the benches and both managers needed to be separated.

In the aftermath of the incident Millwall assistant boss Marc Bircham and Rovers coach Craig Short were sent to the stands and, soon after, Holloway joined them for something he said to the fourth official.

Bowyer said: “It was just two passionate people with emotion.

“We quickly settled ourselves down and got on with the game as that’s what we are here for.”

Bowyer waited for Holloway in his office after the game to bury the hatchet while the former Blackpool boss conducted a lengthy post-match interview.

During it Holloway confirmed that the two managers were ‘still mates’ but only after admitting: “It was their reaction that I felt the ref could have dealt with better.

“I have got a lot of time for Gary, no problem, but I didn’t at that moment as I didn’t feel that it was right.

“Everyone one of them, everyone one of them, were all round like that. It was a good tackle, I don’t think it was a bad one.”

Holloway, who confirmed the Lions will appeal against Wilkinson’s red card, was back in his office by the time his team completed the unlikeliest of comebacks.

He said: “I’ve said something to the fourth official and then he couldn’t control himself and he then sent me off.

“Then I get in the stand where I am supposed to be and then I have to leave the stand because the yellow card they gave their fella (Markus Olsson for a pulling back Alan Dunne) – that was it for me.

“So I went down in my office, managed to find my way back down, put the telly on, watched the scores coming up and jumped and nearly hit my head on the ceiling (when we equalised).

“I had a feeling it would happen because my boys have been fantastic but we’ve got to defend better.”

Bowyer echoed those thoughts after Rovers carelessly threw away a two-goal lead given to them by Shane Duffy’s first for the club and top-scorer Rudy Gestede’s ninth of the season.

He said: “I’m disappointed. We got ourselves into a good position at 2-0 up but we weren’t able to see the game out.

“We should have closed both goals down better. We should have defended both of them better.”

For more reaction from Bowyer, see tomorrow’s Lancashire Telegraph.