Tony Mowbray felt there were ‘a lot of good signs’ in the Carabao Cup defeat to Sheffield United – including a first of the season for Sam Gallagher.

Rovers have struggled for goals from open play this season, but Gallagher found the net with a back-post header after coming off the bench as Mowbray’s side pushed to get back in to the tie.

They deserved much more from the game having been the better side for the majority of it, only to go in to the break 2-0 down after goals from Richard Stearman and Ollie Norwood.

They were the Blades’ only efforts at goal in the first half, a stark contrast to Rovers who saw Adam Armstrong have a penalty saved by Simon Moore who also kept out Richie Smallwood’s follow-up, and denied Armstrong again just after Stearman made it 1-0.

On his assessment of the game, Mowbray said: “I thought for the whole game we were pretty good at what we worked at, the game-plan.

“We played against a Premier League side, although they made a lot of changes they still had a lot of players who’ve played at the top level on the pitch.

“I thought we applied ourselves well. The frustration is the nature of the goals we conceded, they didn’t create them I don’t think.

“They didn’t really build up any pressure, that was our frustration. I don’t think we got what we deserved.

“I don’t think it was great play from them, I don’t remember them pushing us back and me thinking ‘this is hard work around our box’. 

“The second goal was a good finish from Norwood.

“But a bit more quality (needed), we had lots of chances but didn’t take them.”

Rovers created no shortage of chances at Bramall Lane, despite having found the net just three times in five league games.

Mowbray is confident though if they keep creating the opportunities they did in South Yorkshire that the tide will soon turn.

He added: “It’s about the performance level of the team and if you’re happy with that then I know over the course of 50-odd games a season we’ll score enough to have a decent season.

“The strikers aren’t finding the net as often as the chances we’re creating but that’s football.

“You never score every chance you have, but I think it’s coming, there were a lot of good signs.”

Gallagher came off the bench on the hour mark and netted 12 minutes later, a thumping header from an Armstrong cross.

He was used in a central striking role, having started the last three matches out wide, with this his first goal since a £5m move from Southampton.

“He’s 6’4 and probably needs to score more with his head,” Mowbray.

“I’m happy for him, we needed to get him going as a centre forward down the middle.

“We know we can play him out wide and he’s very flexible to do that, but I’m happy for him that he scored a goal but the bigger picture is that we’re out of the cup but there were enough positives to take in to Saturday.”