TONY Mowbray felt Rovers were the better side on the day, and must now prove it over the remaining 20 games of the season.

A Charlie Mulgrew brace and Danny Graham strike saw Rovers close the gap to Shrewsbury Town to just two points after a 3-1 win at Ewood Park.

It means Rovers are now unbeaten in 15 league matches and have 52 points from their 26 matches so far.

“The result is big, important and it was important not to let them get too far in front of us,” said Mowbray.

“Once you get to 20 games they tick down really fast.

“We’re hunting them down and we want to look at it like that. We have been for a few weeks now and any game that you’re not at it then the gap can open pretty quickly.

“It was important to close that gap and for Shrewsbury to feel that Blackburn Rovers are right up there not because of good fortune but that we’re a good team.

“I felt their qualities, how quick on the transition they were and the threat and passing quality they had at times.

“But ultimately I felt that we were the better team over 90 minutes and we have to prove that over the next 20 games.”

Mowbray wanted his side to match the energy and intensity that the visitors have shown all season.

And the boss added: “That was the challenge to the players, to find that level of intensity not to be over-cooked when they forget to play and just run around kicking everyone but not to be under-cooked and get blown away by the intensity of the opposition.

“I think Shrewsbury are a high intensity team, very athletic, and we had to match that which I think we did.

“They took the game-plan on the pitch and executed it perfectly, despite being pegged back by a penalty that was questionable and they showed great character to come back.”

Rovers closed the gap to the automatic promotion places to two points, but Mowbray expects the Shrews to last the pace.

“I’m pretty sure they won’t go away from the position they’re in, it’s down to us to win our games,” Ewood chief added.

“We can’t affect their season from now on, we’ve played them twice and we’ve taken four points.

“We go to Fleetwood and if we lose and they win it’s back to five points so we have to make sure we stay right on it and if someone beats us then they will have deserved to over the season.”