LUCAS Joao admitted to mixed feelings after scoring his first goals for Blackburn Rovers in the 2-2 draw with Norwich City.

Joao scored twice at Carrow Road as Rovers fought back from 1-0 down, only to be pegged back by Cameron Jerome’s second of the game.

Norwich played most of the game with just 10 men after Mitchell Dijks was sent off, though it took the introduction of Joao to make the breakthrough as he scored twice in six minutes.

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But Joao, on-loan from Sheffield Wednesday, said a failure to hang on to three points was a disappointment for Rovers.

“I’m so happy (to have scored) but not happy because we should have won the game,” he said.

“I’m happy to have come in and helped the team by scoring and to not lose which was the most important thing.

“That is my job, I’m a striker, and need to be ready for everything that comes in to the area and I was delighted to score and help the team.

“After two goals of course I will be confident.”

Joao was sent on with over half an hour to go at Carrow Road, despite having featured just twice for Rovers since joining on loan until the end of the season in January.

The 23-year-old hadn’t scored since an EFL Cup tie at Cambridge United for his parent club, and his last goal in the Championship came back February 2016.

He hit the post shortly after coming on, but didn’t have to wait too long after that to break his goalscoring duck.

He added: “It was a little bit frustrating because I’ve been searching to score for such a long time and with the first touch of the ball I hit the post.

“But I was very happy to have scored the two goals.”

Joao was brought in on loan by previous boss Owen Coyle in January, and came off the bench in the 2-1 defeat to Leeds United on February 1.

His only other Rovers appearance came in Tony Mowbray’s first game in charge at Burton Albion on February 24.

Two different coaches to impress in such a short space of time has taken some getting used to for Joao, who added: “That is football – but I need to work hard and impress the new coach with my qualities.

“But I need to work hard to be in the squad for the next game and give the gaffer a decision to make. He will decide.”

Of Joao, who was aided by an injury to Sam Gallagher, head coach Mowbray said: “I talked to him in the hotel in the morning of the game and I have been watching clips that the analysts have put together of players that haven’t been regulars since I came in.

“When he was at Sheffield Wednesday it looked to me as if his best moments were when he was driving in to the box off the left wing.

“With his physicality when he’s driving at you in to the box you’ve got to be a good strong defender to see him off.

“I told him to play wide left and see if we could get some balls in the box to him and he scored two goals which is great for the boy and important for the team.

“Moving forward we will see how we utilise him.”