TONY Mowbray feels his side are starting to acclimatise to life in League One afte recording a third straight win at Rochdale.

Richie Smallwood scored in the first half, before Marcus Antonsson and Danny Graham found the net after the break as Rovers ran out 3-0 winners.

Rovers had started their league season with back-to-back defeats against Southend United and Doncaster Rovers, but have since bounced back with nine points from their next three league fixtures.

And after an impressive display at Spotland, Mowbray said: “I thought it was hard work – we played against a team who gave everything for the team and for their manager.

“Ultimately with the players we’ve got, and with total respect to Rochdale, we expect to come here and win.

“I thought it was really, really hard work, we had to dig in at times and what is pleasing is that you can maybe compare this game to Southend on the opening day, a similar type of arena and feel to the match, and one that we didn’t physically turn up in.

“Here we physically turned up, competed against a team that if you don’t you will lose.

“That was the most pleasing aspect, that we looked like a team who are acclimatising to the league and what’s required to win football matches.”

Graham scored his first of the season, after coming off the bench, while Antonsson scored his first in Rovers colours early in the second half.

And Mowbray added: “It was good that the strikers scored, I am pleased for them, and Danny who has worked extremely hard behind the scenes to get in to a condition where he’s going to have an impact on the team.

“It was good to be able to bring on the quality of player that we did, we could have maybe scored a couple more goals.

“Harry Chapman had some great opportunities, but I am pleased.”

Over 3,200 Rovers fans travelled to Rochdale and made an incredible noise in support of their side.

“I have to talk about the supporters,” Mowbray added.

“It was an amazing turnout, I have been here a few times to watch or bring a team and never seen such support from the away side.

“It was quite amazing.”

Charlie Mulgrew wasn’t named in the Rovers side as the one change which saw Paul Downing come in for his debut.

The Rovers skipper limped out of Scotland’s 2-0 win over Malta on Monday, and despite it not being as bad as first feared, he wasn’t risked for the game.

But Mowbray hopes that the 31-year-old could feature in Tuesday’s trip to Scunthorpe United.

“We had a pretty in-depth conversation and amazing credit to Charlie, he was considering taking an injection to play in this game,” Mowbray explained.

“I didn’t see how we could put him on a teamsheet after having an injection half an hour before and then him not feel it was quite right.

“Between us, and the medical department, we took the decision not to play him and on Monday we will assess it and hopefully it will have settled down and he will be available for Tuesday.

“That being said, I thought Paul Downing had a faultless debut for the football club.”