Tony Mowbray says ‘it’s just a start’ despite Rovers moving to 21 points from 13 games after a 2-1 victory over Leeds United.

Headed goals from Danny Graham and Darragh Lenihan helped Rovers to a second home win of the season and leaves them just two points behind Marcelo Bielsa’s side.

Before the 3pm kick-offs Rovers moved as high as fifth, but after a win for Derby in the 5.30pm game against Sheffield United, Mowbray’s men find themselves seventh, level on points with the Rams who have a better goal difference.

Far from getting carried away, Mowbray said: “That’s all it is, a start.

“You only have to look at last season, Millwall were down there at the start and then seven or eight wins around Christmas pushed them towards the top six.

“It can work the other way of course.

“For us we have given ourselves a platform.

“The plan is to work hard in every game and see how this season goes, try and consolidate.”

Mowbray made three changes in the space of 11 second half minutes, with Jack Rodwell, Ben Brereton and Craig Conway all introduced.

The boss felt the trio all played their part in seeing Rovers to a fifth win of the season.

He added: “All three subs worked really, really hard to see the game out.

“That showed the spirit of the team.

“Three or four of the players at the final whistle said how fantastic they thought the lads who came on did for the team.”

Brereton made a fifth appearance off the bench, utilised from a wide right role, and put in his best performance to date.

Mowbray has stressed there needs to be patience with the 19-year-old, currently on loan from Nottingham Forest, adding: “Ben Brereton has cost us a lot of money, but he’s a very young boy. He scores more goals than anyone in training and in small-sided games so I have no doubt in my mind that once he acclimatises to the effort of a Bennett and a Smallwood, of how you have to work for this team, you won’t play if you don’t do the work.

“Once he acclimatises to it, he’s an amazing talent and will be a good addition to this group of footballers along the way.”