A look at the key talking points as Rovers made it four wins in a row with their 1-0 victory over Derby. 

The kind of game you need to win

Make no bones about it, Derby offered very, very little here.

Coach and soon to be Rams player Wayne Rooney was watching on from the bench and will have lamented what he saw from the visitors in the final third.

Jack Marriott’s effort saved by Christian Walton in stoppage time was the only effort on target they mustered. But set up to contain, on another day, and with Rovers not on the run they are on, the hosts might not have got over the line and been left looking back on a missed opportunity to make it four wins in a row.

Better chances were spurned before Adam Armstrong intervened and the backline did their job in the closing stages.

It was very much a case of box ticked and on to the next one.

Suddenly boss has options

It’s funny what a few wins can do. Having struggled to find a solution during a tough spell Tony Mowbray named the same side for the third game in a row here but admitted post match the tough schedule, trips to Swansea and Bristol City to come, means he might not be able to repeat the feat.

But he certainly has options when it comes to trying to shuffle the pack and not upset the apple cart.

Sam Gallagher in particular caught the eye off the bench for the final quarter, providing a real outlet in place of the industrious Danny Graham having come on and bagged the late winner against Stoke last time out.

Even at right back, Ryan Nyambe has roared back to the front of the queue and put in another good display here.

Then there’s Lewis Holtby and others who will be hoping they get the nod in the days to come as Rovers look to keep on rolling into Christmas where history dictates the squad will really be tested.

A toast to Tosin

Arriving with a big reputation and seemingly all the tools, Tosin Adarabioyo is now living up to the billing that comes with being a Manchester City loanee, and one that is highly regarded at the Etihad.

Here the 22-year-old put it all together to produce an excellent all-round display that rightly saw him take the man of the match honours, even outshining partner Darragh Lenihan, so key since his return to action.

The City slicker was good with the ball at his feet in the first half, his comfort in possession proving to be a perfect compliment to some of Lenihan’s no nonsense defending.

But in the second, when backs were perhaps unnecessarily against the wall, more often than not Adarabioyo was the man to pop up with the key interception or header.

More of this, and Derrick Williams will certainly be waiting his turn on his return from injury.