ARGYLE'S penalty hero Paul Gallagher believes he and his team-mates were unfortunate not to leave Birmingham with all three points.

The on-loan Blackburn Rovers striker was forced to wait nearly three minutes in front of a hostile St Andrew's crowd before converting his first-half penalty, given for a foul by goalkeeper Maik Taylor on Jamie Mackie, before Blues' substitute Franck Queudrue equalised for the home side early after the interval.

"I have mixed feelings really," he said. "Despite it being a good point for us, it feels like a defeat really.

"I think, coming into the game, we would have taken a point easily, but, the way the game went on; at half-time, playing against ten men, if only we had held them out, we would have seen them through.

"A point at Birmingham is a good result but, as far as we have come, we are disappointed to leave here with only that."

Regarding his goal, Gallagher said: "I was in a decent position to see the foul and I think Jamie got to the ball first and took a kick.

"It was the referee's decision and we weren't going to tell him to change his mind.

"I think it was part of the keeper's [substitute Colin Doyle] plan to put me off but I just stayed focused and gave it a good whacking down the middle.

"Even if he had got his hand to it, I think it would have still gone in."

The Pilgrims were close to regaining their lead near the end after Ashley Barnes was ruled offside for slotting home Mackie's rebounded efforts.

The striker, who was credited with Gary Sawyer's strike against Coventry on the weekend, had previously been denied by the flag prior to the Greens taking the lead but the Rovers' hitman believes his chances will soon come.

He said: "I think Ash is still trying to claim that goal from the other day.

"He's in the right positions but he hasn't had that bit of luck yet. If he keeps putting in the hard work in training, the penny is sure to drop soon."

Matt Skinner