There were points to go with the positivity as Rovers claimed a vital first victory on their return to the Championship.

Tony Mowbray said his side’s first half display is what he wants to see replicated on a regular basis. If that proves to be the case, Rovers will be an entertaining watch.

For the most part, this remains the group which helped Rovers get out of League One and there is much to admire. Tony Mowbray has created a team with no shortage of quality, built on the cornerstone of hard-work and team spirit with likeable characters.

The one thing they need to sharpen up on however is putting games to bed, something Mowbray will hope to address with attacking reinforcements in the loan window.

It is a slight flaw which cost them two points on the opening day at Ipswich, and despite a slow start against Millwall, they had enough chances to secure victory.

Conceding late goals, and tossing points away, was an unwanted characteristic of their last Championship campaign.

So while there is much more positivity around the class of 2018/19, getting a first win of the board is an important step. Anything but at the KCOM Stadium would have been a travesty.

Their interplay inside the opening quarter was a joy to watch at times. Without Hull 'keeper David Marshall’s impressive display, the score could have been four or five.

Bradley Dack was at the heart of Rovers’ positive moments, and after heading on to the roof of the net, he looked odds on to score after breaking in to the box, only to be denied by a sprawling Marshall.

Adam Armstrong was rewarded for his brace in the cup with a start, and his movement proved too much for the Hull backline. He would have opened the scoring had his touch when played in by Dack been further out of reach of the advancing Marshall who got an out-stretched foot to the ball.

His left-foot shot, from the right edge of the box, drew another save from Marshall, all inside the opening 10 minutes.

A nasty, but accidental, clash of heads between Stephen Kingsley and Palmer threatened to disrupt Rovers’ rhythm in the 27th minute.

Rovers weren’t finding it as easy to get Dack and Armstrong in to pockets of space, with their next attempt coming when Darragh Lenihan volleyed wide from an Elliott Bennett cross.

There was a fear Rovers may not have anything to show for their first-half dominance, but that was laid to rest in the 43rd minute.

Armstrong worked the ball wide to Bennett whose inch-perfect cross found the left foot of Dack who steered in to the near post.

Raya made his first save of note 10 minutes in to the second half as Jackson Irvine ghosted in to the box, only to shoot tamely goalwards on his left foot.

The away end, and those following from East Lancashire, took a sharp take in-take of breath when Dack hobbled off on the hour mark.

But that didn’t hamper Rovers as an attacking force, as raft of chances soon followed. Armstrong fluffed his line from 10 yards after a Danny Graham knockdown, before Marshall saved Palmer's curling strike.

Then, a lightning fast break from Rovers, started from quick distribution from Raya, sent Armstrong clear. He darted towards goal, and after being denied by Marshall, the outcome seemed inevitable as Bennett slid in towards the loose ball, only to guide it wide from three yards out.

Graham's header was kept out by a point-blank Marshall save, before shooting narrowly wide.

There was little by way of a late onslaught, though Raya did make an excellent save to keep out a Jordy Wijks header from a left-wing Evandro corner.

Rovers now head in to back-to-back home games within the next week, buoyed by an impressive display on the road.