Darragh Lenihan’s return coinciding with improved defensive displays from Rovers is no coincidence for Tony Mowbray.

Rovers have conceded 46 goals in 23 away games this season, more than any team in the division, but have looked more secure in wins over Nottingham Forest and QPR in the last week.

Lenihan missed eight matches through a knee injury, with the Irishman’s absence a big factor in a run of nine defeats in 11 games.

On withstanding an aerial bombardment at QPR, a Jayson Leutwiler mistake apart, Mowbray said: “Thinking back to Sheffield Wednesday when we were without so many centre halves.

“We conceded four goals that day, two from wide free kicks that were just lobbed in to our box and headed straight in.

“Sometimes managers try and make excuse, I have tried never to do that, it was our Achilles heel for the team.

“Lenihan missed eight weeks but now he’s back and the ball isn’t going in our net as much and we’re managing to win football matches because I feel as if we can always score goals.”

Going forward, Rovers created plenty of chances and could have scored more than the two goals they did. Mowbray says work on the training ground, in looking to become a more progressive team, is starting to shine through.

He added: “We do a lot of work on the training ground trying to make our team more of a controlling one and have better options and positional play going forward.

“It’s not just Bradley (Dack) as a No.10, sometimes we have (Joe) Rothwell playing inside and (Amari’i) Bell bombing on down the left, (Adam) Armstrong on the right, and you have a team that knows where it’s going with the ball when you pass forward.”