It was the win over Barnsley in November that proved to be something of a turning point for Rovers’ season.

Bradley Dack’s late goal gave them just a second win in nine, but they would go on to record 18 points from the next 24 available, going eight unbeaten and moving in to top six contention.

Having already lost home matches to fellow newly-promoted sides Charlton and Wigan, defeat to another, bottom of the league Barnsley, would have been a desperate blow for Mowbray.

There was growing discontent around Ewood as Barnsley equalised for a second time with eight minutes to go, only for Dack to save the day.

Rovers then won their next three matches, including an excellent display against Brentford having landed on a settled side, as their rise gathered momentum.

Recalling that November afternoon, the Rovers boss said: “I’m sure you know as I know, it felt as though the fanbase were turning against the team, myself, whatever it was. We found a way of winning that football match, but we felt their quality.

“They’re a dangerous team but they’re bottom of the league because they’ve not been able to keep the ball out of the net. We have to go there, show great resolve and really punish them when the challenges come.”

The two teams meet with seven games to go, Rovers needing victory to boost their play-off hopes after the setback of a weekend defeat for Wigan, and Barnsley looking to boost their great escape bid.

Four points from their two games back, including back-to-back clean sheets has closed the gap to safety to that same number, despite falling to bottom of the table.

The bottom eight sides in the division have taken 25 points from their matches since the re-start, just two less than the top eight, as they battle for survival. And having lost at another team in the lower reaches of the table in Wigan at the weekend, Mowbray is more than aware of Barnsley’s threat, particularly going forward.

“They have seven games to go, they have to win every game. You and I know that you win one and you could be one point out of it, but you lose the next one and you could be back to four points,” he explained.

“They have to win game after game after game so they’ll be really aggressive.

“We have already felt how good they can be on the ball and the problems they can give teams.

“I talked last week about how they’re similar in my eyes to Norwich in the Premier League, they’re a very good football team, they have wonderful footballers. They’re an exciting team, but kept losing.

“We have to work really hard, focus, and make sure Barnsley have another night where they play pretty well but get beat. We have to go there and make it happen.”