STEVE Cotterill insists individual errors were to blame as Burnley fell to their third consecutive Championship defeat.

The Clarets slipped one place in the league to fifth after losing 2-1 to Birmingham at Turf Moor on Saturday, despite taking an early lead.

Irish teenager Chris McCann gave Burnley the best of starts with a superb back post finish in the fourth minute.

But the Blues levelled in fortunate circumstances through Nicklas Bendtner before substitute DJ Campbell tapped home the winner with seven minutes left after Clarets goalkeeper Brian Jensen fumbled Bendter's initial effort.

Burnley boss Cotterill believed his side deserved a share of the spoils in an evenly-matched contest.

"It's a game we shouldn't have been beaten in," said Cotterill. "The least we deserved was a draw.

"Both of their goals were on the break, individual errors that sometimes you can't do anything about or account for. On the back of it, you end up three points down.

"You can't calculate individual errors. No matter how hard I've tried in 11 years of being a manager, I can't do anything about individual errors.

"You just have to try and back them and get on with it. That's what we will have to do."

The Blues were fortuitous in their equalising goal, Bendtner finding the net after Michael Duff's clearance ricocheted off Claret team-mate Jon Harley and landed at the feet of the on-loan Danish striker.

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