Stoke boss Mark Hughes could have no complaints about the result after his side fell out of the FA Cup with a 4-1 defeat to Blackburn on Saturday.
Things were looking up for the Premier League team against their Championship opponents when Peter Crouch opened the scoring after 10 minutes.
But Rovers answered with a hat trick from Josh King and a penalty -- which also led to the sending off of Potters defender Geoff Cameron -- from top scorer Rudy Gestede.
"We got our noses in front and you think we have a bit of a platform," said Hughess, a three-time FA Cup winner as a Manchester United player. "But we allowed Blackburn a few opportunities, didn't defend a corner properly -- which has been a bit of a problem for us this year -- and we needed to get to half-time intact and change a few things.
"To concede the penalty and lose a man is too difficult for us which it shouldn't have been. All in all, it was a very poor performance.
"Blackburn executed their game plan far better and we didn't deal with their front guys.
"I was disappointed as a whole. We didn't do the fundamentals. It doesn't matter who you are up against, you need to do them. I have no complaints."
Blackburn manager Gary Bowyer masterminded his second FA Cup victory over Premier League opposition but laughed off suggestions his side could win the competition.
Rovers, having beaten Swansea in the previous round, are now into their second quarterfinal in three years alongside fellow Championship side Reading; and with many of the top clubs already out, the FA Cup is opening for a team to make a run at winning it.
"Win it? Do me a favour, I have just finished this game," said Bowyer. "We are just delighted to be in the next round. We would love another home tie and then we will go from there."
King, who failed to make the grade at Manchester United having joined them as a 16-year-old from Norwegian side Valerenga, was a constant menace with his pace and he won the penalty which resulted in a fifth opposition player being sent off in Rovers' fifth FA Cup tie in succession.
"We identified areas [where] we thought we might get success and King's pace was one of them and the rest of the team played to his strengths," added Bowyer. "He has fantastic pace and the most pleasing thing was he finished those.
"Kingy is going to get the plaudits for his hat-trick and rightly so but he will be the first to say he needs the lads to put the ball in the right areas.
"I thought to a man we were excellent, outstanding. Full praise to the lads. I don't think they got enough credit for what they did in the last round.
"To go down 1-0 so early and come back made it a great cup tie."
Stoke said the club will launch an internal investigation after skirmishes erupted between fans and stewards near the end of the match on Saturday.
Information from Press Association was used in this report.